Last October, the NFL played its first-ever regular season game outside of North America when a sold-out crowd saw the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium. The NFL has now committed to playing at least one game in the UK for the next three years, with the New Orleans Saints hosting the San Diego Chargers at Wembley on Sunday October 26.
The NFL’s contract with Sky Sports delivers NFL programming on a daily basis all year round, including 130 live games, while the BBC showed its first Super Bowl live in February and will air coverage of this year’s Wembley game and broadcast Super Bowl XLIII live in 2009.
“We are at an extremely exciting time in our growth within the UK,” said Lisa Lazarus, NFL Senior Director of Partner Development. “We have an outstanding collection of assets that will enable partners to engage with a fast-developing business and an outstanding on-field sport. We believe that Octagon’s experience and their understanding of the NFL’s brand equity will enable us to tell our story to a wide range of potential sponsors.”
Nick massey, Octagon CEO of UK, Europe and Middle East, added, “The NFL has seen phenomenal growth as people are drawn to what is a unique addition to the UK sports landscape. The game is exciting and unpredictable and has created a passionate fan base in the UK. These consumer passions are what make the NFL a great proposition for brands. We are excited about working with the NFL and see that there is a strong synergy between our two organisations – combining a fantastic product with a tailored commercial strategy to deliver long-term partners for the NFL in the UK.’
Lazarus continued, “The three-year commitment of the NFL to playing games in the UK, plus the year-round platform created by our television contracts and our plans for a full calendar of in-market events, makes the NFL an attractive proposition. We are able to offer some unique opportunities, such as field-side advertising at the Wembley game – something that is not available for NFL games in the United States.”
Other NFL assets include Sport 2020, the Global Sports Summit presented by Economist Conferences in association with the NFL on Friday October 24, two days before this year’s London game. Sponsorship inventory will be available within the NFL’s year-round calendar of marketing activity – centred around the Wembley game and including Super Bowl and NFL season kickoff. Sponsorship is also available around all of the NFL’s programming on Sky, which totals in excess of 1,000 hours per year.
