NFL International Series experience second only to Super Bowl, says Jeff Reinebold

"What's the NFL more than anything else? It's a business. And they're in the business of expansion. They want a global footprint"

By Cameron Hogwood

Image: Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in November 2019

Jeff Reinebold has dismissed concerns the NFL could view the cancellation of 2020 International Series games as an opportunity to step away from the UK market.

London had been set to host four regular-season games this year, with the Jacksonville Jaguars slated to play consecutive matchups at Wembley Stadium.

Those games, along with the Arizona Cardinals' proposed clash in Mexico, will now be played in the United States in order to protect the well-being of players and fans in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

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"I was disappointed like everybody but you've got to understand these are uncertain, crazy times that we're all living in right now and the NFL has got to do what's best for the players and safety for everybody," said Reinebold on Inside the Huddle.

"If that means taking a year off from London, I think it's a blip on the radar screen. I'm not overly concerned about it because the NFL is deeply, deeply committed to the market, particularly in the UK, but the international market in general."

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In its statement, the NFL confirmed its intentions of returning to both the UK and Mexico in 2021, while NFL UK Managing Director Alistair Kirkwood underlined the desire to strengthen ties with the NFL Flag and the NFL Academy programmes.

"What's the NFL more than anything else? It's a business," added Reinebold. "And they're in the business of expansion. They want a global footprint. This has been a huge success in the UK, an incredible success.

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"They sell the thing out. The games are second only to the Super Bowl in the amount of hype and experience that the fans get, so I think the NFL recognises there is an incredible fan base in England.

"Until there is a team there, I think we're going to continue to get four games a year and eventually we'll have a team in London."

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Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Rob Ryan echoed Reinebold's confidence in the International Series' future, having been taken aback by the enormity of the occasion in London since its introduction 13 years ago.

"The Super Bowl has all that and there's so much around that, but other than that, those international games, I've never seen anything like it," he said.

"It's an awesome venue, it's awesome crowd participation. I coached for the Raiders in the Black Hole and all that but I've never seen the support that the NFL in general has in the UK.

"I was so impressed with it and still to this day am. I know that losing those games hurt but I know it will be back bigger and stronger in the future."

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The NFL's prominence in the UK has increased significantly over the past decade, both in terms of interest and knowledge among fans.

Last season provided another meaningful step forward as the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium asserted itself as a perfect London venue with regards to its innovation and opulence.

"The fans are so knowledgeable," said Reinebold. "Whatever player who has come over to the UK has been shocked by the knowledge of the fans, the intensity of the fans, the level of passion they have for their teams.

"All of that is not lost on the NFL. I think it would be good for fans in the UK to recognise 'we'll take a step back and realise how fortunate we are to have games in the UK'."

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