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Exploring the viability of an NFL franchise in London

Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports

The NFL continues to take steps overseas, as it looks to establish its brand worldwide.

Eventually, however, those steps will have to turn into one giant leap, as the NFL will have to move a franchise outside the U.S. if it's ever to truly become a global sport.

A franchise based in the United Kingdom is the most logical choice, with 17 regular-season games held, or scheduled to be held, in London since 2007.

The NFL has continuously emphasized that a franchise in London is possible, albeit while tempering expectations that any such move is imminent.

So let's explore how viable a franchise in London really is:

Where would they play?

This would be one of the most easily solved issues facing any franchise that wanted to move to London, as there are several viable stadium options.

Wembley Stadium has played host to every International Series game played in London so far. It's the home of the English national soccer team, but no permanent club, so the scheduling difficulties would be minor. The stadium also cost far in excess of its initial budget, which has caused the English Football Association to become well-known for exploring any avenue to recoup the losses since it opened in 2007.

While an NFL franchise would come with significant risks, the potential revenue could entice them to allow Wembley to become the new home of a franchise.

Another serious option would be the new stadium of Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. The club and the NFL already have a 10-year agreement in place to host a minimum of two games per year after the stadium opens in the summer of 2018.

The stadium is being purposely built to host football games; an artificial surface underneath a retractable grass field will avoid the field issues experienced at Wembley, while dedicated facilities, like locker rooms big enough to house a full NFL roster, will be built.

Will there be the support?

U.K. (and European) fans have proven their commitment to football throughout the International Series, routinely packing the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium, with tickets selling out in a matter of days.

However, as anyone that's been to an International Series game over the past nine years can attest, fans from all 32 teams, not just the ones playing, fill out the stands.

The games played at Wembley are seen as "events," a chance for fans to get a taste of the sport. Most NFL fans in the U.K. already have their own team, and would likely resist any push to switch allegiances.

The NFL would likely have to hope the demand could be spread across the eight home games of the regular season (and they appear to aiming to prove it would by increasing the current number of games held in London every few years) and that fans would adopt the new franchise as their second team. In time, that support would grow, and the new fans brought to football by the presence of the franchise would likely be drawn to the London team.

This issue would likely require time and patience to solve.

How would the schedule work?

If anything is going to kill London's chances of earning an NFL franchise, it's logistics.

London is 3,459 miles away from the U.S., which would create a major complication to an NFL schedule that is already far from perfect. East coast teams shouldn't be affected too much, as the the cross-country trips they already have to undertake are comparable to a flight across the Atlantic. The West coast teams, however, would see huge ramifications for the journey to London.

Teams that currently make the trip for the International Series usually have the bye weeks scheduled the following week, giving the players more time to recover. But this may not be feasible with eight home games.

The London franchise, too, would face difficulties. Those could be minimized by having a U.S. base on the east coast, meaning the team could play its home and away schedule in blocks, splitting time between London and the east coast in a way that best suits its schedule.

However, the challenge of forming a schedule that works seems like a mammoth-sized undertaking.

Technology could be key here, as faster and less grueling flights could make the journey less of an issue. But until this development becomes a reality, the workings of the schedule may be the biggest issue stopping a move to London.

Would any free agents want to join?

It's a fair assumption that free-agent players would not be keen to join a franchise in London.

Moving to a similar but still foreign country would likely be met with resistance. This could be mitigated by having a base on the east coast, meaning players wouldn't have to move to the U.K. permanently unless they chose to do so.

However, the issue would still likely be a competitive disadvantage for the team.

One of the solutions would be to grant the London team a higher salary cap than the rest of the league. This increases the team's chances of capturing free agents, while also addressing the tax issues players will face from earning their living outside the U.S.

Like the support issue, the concerns over player resistance will only be alleviated once the franchise is up and running. London may never be a top free-agent destination, but if the team is successful and can offer more money, then players will surely overlook some of the logistical issues it would cause them.

What's next?

The issues facing a potential franchise in London seem numerous and challenging, but not insurmountable, especially for a league looking to add a few more billions to its coffers.

And that's likely what will make a non-U.S. franchise a reality: Money.

When the potential revenue of a London franchise becomes too good to ignore, the NFL will make it happen.

It might not come about in the foreseeable future, with the league denying its set a target for 2022, but it appears to be a matter of when, not if, that London becomes the newest member of the NFL.

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