NFL UK chief on Jags’ London franchise and Olympic flag football in 2028
Flag football at the Olympics could be the inspiration to get more UK children into the NFL, according to the league’s UK general manager Henry Hodgson.
Speaking to CityAM from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will this year host the Tennessee Titans versus the Baltimore Ravens in the third and final NFL London game of the season, the Brit outlined plans for the future of the sport and committed to north London beyond the end of the decade.
Flag football is almost the touch rugby version of NFL and could be included in the Olympics in Los Angeles from 2028.
Flag football optimism
“We are really optimistic about what we are hearing on the flag football front, there are still some steps to go through for that to happen but if that were to happen it would be really exciting for the growth of the sport internationally,” Hodgson says.
“Especially looking at kids part of the Huddle Project, some of these guys are experiencing flag football for the first time and it would be cool for young people to see the opportunity to represent your country at the Olympics will be great.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins are among six NFL franchises who are investing in the UK market, after the league divided up the globe into regional areas for each franchise.
The Jags have long been associated with London and are rumoured to be looking at developing a fully functioning London franchise in the future.
“Just growing the fan base and giving fans in this market more opportunity to see games would deliver equally as well [as a London franchise],” Hodgson adds.
“It is great to see the progress the Jags have made in terms of developing their fan base in the UK and I think that if you ask them they’d say they are incredibly happy with the progress that has been made over the 10 years they have been playing here.
“When and where that gets to the point where they look to see if that is time for a franchise I am not sure, but in the meantime we are going to continue to grow the audience as best we can.”
NFL growth
NFL in the UK has developed beyond the traditional two or three matches per season, in which the league has a partnership with Spurs until the end of the decade, and into a year-round project.
It is a global leader in overseas growth and a number of initiatives are helping them do that, Hodgson says.
“What we have really ramped up is the 362 days beyond game days. That means the Huddle Project and the NFL Academy here – who played Friday and beat a US high school 35-0 and put themselves on the map,” he says.
“Hopefully we will have p[layers from this country playing College Football and maybe NFL. Our partnerships with broadcasters and media partnerships and social media are impactful, there’s so much going on especially with six NFL teams investing in the UK and growing their fan base.
“It’s fair to say we’re in a better place than we have ever been.”