NFL’s European Gambling: Why Show Boring Games?

The NFL, a league that aims to expand its fan base across Europe, is taking an ironic approach to selecting its games.

Since opening its doors to European spectators in October 2007, 42 NFL games have been played on the continent, and only two of those have resulted in both teams winning. Notable games include the match between the Giants and Packers in 2022 and the match between the Chiefs and Dolphins last season.

Interestingly, NFL fans in Europe often had to watch games where at least one team was undefeated. The Cleveland Browns, who had a disastrous 0-16 season in 2017, visited London, as did the Jaguars, who had a poor record under coach Urban Meyer, and the Dolphins, who had 15 losses led by Cleo Lemon.

This is similar to serving Italian cuisine and substituting canned spaghetti, or substituting American barbecue for mac ribs. I can’t represent the best cuisine.

This season’s European finals are shaping up to be a feast of mediocrity: Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers (2-7) face Daniel Jones and the New York Giants (2-7). This game is not a playoff showdown, but more of a positioning game for next year’s draft.

Both teams are among the seven franchises with the worst records in the league on the season. A team that loses on Sunday will have a better chance of securing its quarterback or key player of the future, while a winning team will still need a huge miracle to make the playoffs.

Moreover, the fans in Munich are subjected to the extra ‘entertainment’ provided by the NFL during halftime, which is a clear disregard for their sensibilities.

One wonders why a league with such deep ties to England would offer such mediocre matches. The Jaguars are considered the team of London and play two home games each year, but the franchise has suffered from chronic difficulties. Jacksonville has made the playoffs only twice in the past 16 seasons, and only had a chance at victory in 2017 thanks to the fleeting success of quarterback Blake Bortles.

So why doesn’t the NFL send better teams to Europe? Maybe they didn’t feel that need. With European fans eager to watch American football in person and expats longing for a taste of their home country, tickets for the London-Munich game were sold out despite the match being a terrible one. More than 80,000 spectators are wearing each team’s jersey and a mixture of jerseys from multiple teams.

Viewership for NFL games in the UK is also showing steady growth, with a growing number of niche, passionate viewers looking to watch more games. The increase in viewers during last year’s Super Bowl is also significant.

Meanwhile, elite European soccer clubs are luring American audiences with more lucrative preseason games. In fact, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City visited the United States during the summer, as did Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

In contrast, the NFL is primarily focused on exporting poor play as a de facto ranking meal. The league is reluctant to schedule its most thrilling matchup during an inconvenient Sunday morning slot, much to the chagrin of West Coast fans.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodsell recently stated that American football is “destined to go global.” He expressed his desire to host games not only in Europe and America, but also in Africa, Asia and Australia.

A forewarning to fans from that continent: be prepared. It is unlikely that they will receive the league’s most competitive teams or star players.