The League has slated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to 'host' the Chicago Bears in the 2011 International Series game on Sunday, October 23 at 18:00pm local time. However, in announcing the fixture ahead of the full 2011 season schedule at midnight UK time on Tuesday, the NFL stated: "Should the current NFL labour situation be unresolved by August 1, the game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa."
With talks over a new collective bargaining agreement between the players and League owners having collapsed, a current lockout means that, if progress is not made over the summer months, next season could be delayed or even cancelled altogether. However, despite the disruption, teams and NFL officials are pressing ahead with plans for the 2011 campaign.
"Our past four games in London have demonstrated the tremendous passion for NFL football that exists in the UK," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "We hope by staging another extraordinary game at Wembley that we can continue to grow our existing fan base and attract even more new fans." The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, added: "Continuing London's love affair with the hugely popular stateside sport, we are proud to once again welcome two of America's top NFL teams to the capital."
For the Bears it will be a nostalgic return to Wembley on the 25th anniversary of playing in the first official NFL game staged in the UK. The Buccaneers also feature prominently in the NFL's history at the stadium, having played a home game there against the New England Patriots in 2009.
Fox will provide live television coverage of the game in the United States, while live coverage in the UK will air on Sky Sports and BBC Radio, with highlights on BBC TV. For fans planning to attend the game, a Registry of Interest will be launched later this week at www.nfluk.com.
