Angry Pope
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NFL Europa Folds After 16 Years
Friday, June 29, 2007; Page
Taking on losses of $30 million to $40 million a year, the NFL announced today that it is terminating NFL Europa. The league had been in trouble for several years and its current demise had been rumored for days.
Originally developed in 1991 as the World League of American Football with teams in the U.S., Canada and Europe, the idea was to open international markets that have been closed to NFL. As the years went on, the league was moved overseas and eventually consolidated in Germany where it became a developmental tool for NFL clubs.
But a few years ago the NFL began rethinking its international strategy, choosing instead to focus on game telecasts, which helped drive its popularity in the United States. Already, the league streams its games over the internet to a small but growing number of international fans. Last year the NFL's owners voted to play one or two regular season games a year outside the country in hopes the real games might generate more interest. In October the Giants and Dolphins will play a regular season game in London's Wembley Stadium.
Once the league decided to send its own teams overseas, there seemed no reason to keep alive a minor league that was losing so much money.
"NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years and we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development," Mark Waller, the senior vice president of NFL International said in a statement.
The NFL has said Germany is a likely host for a 2008 regular season game. An exhibition game between Seattle and New England, scheduled to be played in Beijing this summer, was cancelled a few months ago.
Friday, June 29, 2007; Page
Taking on losses of $30 million to $40 million a year, the NFL announced today that it is terminating NFL Europa. The league had been in trouble for several years and its current demise had been rumored for days.
Originally developed in 1991 as the World League of American Football with teams in the U.S., Canada and Europe, the idea was to open international markets that have been closed to NFL. As the years went on, the league was moved overseas and eventually consolidated in Germany where it became a developmental tool for NFL clubs.
But a few years ago the NFL began rethinking its international strategy, choosing instead to focus on game telecasts, which helped drive its popularity in the United States. Already, the league streams its games over the internet to a small but growing number of international fans. Last year the NFL's owners voted to play one or two regular season games a year outside the country in hopes the real games might generate more interest. In October the Giants and Dolphins will play a regular season game in London's Wembley Stadium.
Once the league decided to send its own teams overseas, there seemed no reason to keep alive a minor league that was losing so much money.
"NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years and we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development," Mark Waller, the senior vice president of NFL International said in a statement.
The NFL has said Germany is a likely host for a 2008 regular season game. An exhibition game between Seattle and New England, scheduled to be played in Beijing this summer, was cancelled a few months ago.
