The NFL American football league has announced that the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins will each give up a home game in the US in order to play matches in the 2017 International Series in London.
The 2017 International Series will be the first edition to feature four games after the NFL last week announced that it would be expanding for the 10th anniversary edition of the initiative.
The series will begin with either the Baltimore Ravens at the Jaguars, or the New Orleans Saints at the Dolphins.
The Ravens will be taking part in the series for the first time, while the Jaguars will play a home game in London for the fifth consecutive year. The Dolphins will be playing a fourth regular-season game in the English capital, with the Saints to return for the first time since 2008.
Both games will be staged at Wembley Stadium, which has hosted International Series matches since the inaugural edition in 2007, with each game to take place on alternate Sundays, either September 24 or October 1. The NFL will finalise the dates next spring.
The Browns will also take part in the series for the first time and face the Minnesota Vikings, which last featured in 2013, at Twickenham Stadium on either October 22 or 29.
Twickenham staged its first NFL game during this year’s series, when the New York Giants took on the Rams, and the latter will return as home team in 2017 to play host to the Arizona Cardinals, which will play in London for the first time.
Speaking about the Browns’ first appearance in the series, co-owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said: “The NFL is commendably dedicated to developing football at all levels within the United States and throughout the globe, and we share in that commitment to help make our game as great as possible and the opportunities to bring it to more people, both within our community and in other regions.
“We appreciate the opportunity provided by the league selecting our team to join the many others who have represented their cities and the league internationally, as well as the unique experience it will give to our great fans who will join us in London and those who live overseas.”
