Tottenham set a new benchmark in multi-function stadium design when they opened their 62,850-seater home ground in 2019, and their partnership with the NFL has been a wild success story.
The National Football League actually contributed around £10m in funds towards the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which was purpose-built with the NFL’s spec in mind.
And though that sum was just a fraction of the overall £1.2bn cost of the North London arena, the deal was a show of commitment from the American football institution.
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Tottenham have hosted the NFL’s London Games annually since 2019, with the exception of 2020, when the pandemic made the ultra-lucrative event impossible.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts the NFL's London Games, with Minnesota Vikings v Cleveland Browns
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Spurs earned £106m in matchday income in 2023-24, down from £118m the previous season. When they release their accounts for 2024-25 in the spring, they are expected to set a new record in this department.
And they will almost certainly eclipse that new high watermark in 2025-26, with Thomas Frank’s side’s participation in the Champions League generating enormous ticketing revenue.
However, hospitality experiences and other stadium-linked commercial ventures, such as the 12-year deal with Sports Illustrated signed in September, mean the true value of the arena is far greater still.
Daring Together, Dreaming Together.
A story creator and a story teller.
We are pleased to welcome @si_tickets_ as our Official Fan Experience Partner.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 25, 2025
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The 2025 London Games began last Sunday with Minnesota Vikings beating Cleveland Browns 21-17 in front of a capacity crowd at N17.
And this coming Sunday, the Denver Broncos face the New York Jets in the final game at Spurs’ stadium.
After that, Los Angeles Rams – owned by Stan Kroenke of Arsenal fame – round off the London Games against Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley.
But how lucrative is the NFL’s British missionary work for Tottenham?
And with Spurs now granted a license to double the number of non-football events at the stadium, how much cash can they squeeze from it?
According to analysis from the investment bank Goldman Sachs, Spurs earned £55m from non-football events in 2023-24, which is the financial year for which Spurs have published their accounts.
That is inclusive of all events, such as the concerts and combat sports showpieces that Tottenham regularly host too.
In 2026, for example they will stage artists such as the Gorillaz and System of a Down, while Connor Benn’s rematch with Chris Eubank Jr will take place at the stadium next month.
Event Date(s)
Denver Broncos vs New York Jets 12 October 2025
Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn 15 November 2025
Saracens: The Showdown 28 March 2026
Gorillaz 20 June 2026
Bad Bunny 27 and 28 June 2026
System of a Down 13 and 15 July 2026
Upcoming non-football events at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium
Significantly, the number of events Spurs were permitted to host until relatively recently was capped at 16, but Haringey Council approved a license for 30 in August last year.
The NFL specifically are believed to pay Spurs in the region of £2m each time they use their stadium under the terms of their initial 10-year deal with the club.
That arrangement was extended in 2023 and will run until at least 2030. Tottenham also retain catering proceeds. And given that Spurs earn around £800,000 on an average football matchday at the stadium, the cut from the London Games will likely surpass the seven-figure mark too.
There are enormous costs associated for the club to bear too, of course, but they still make a killing on a net basis.
Spurs’ new deal with Sports Illustrated Tickets is the first under their ‘The Collective’ initiative, which they hope will lead to new commercial partnerships for each stand at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Sports Illustrated now have a significant sponsorship presence in the stadium’s East Stand, including with a new 3,000-capacity hospitality experience.
It appears to be a change in commercial strategy for Spurs, who had been looking for an overall naming rights partner for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since it opened six years ago.
Speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire assessed the new partnership.
“I think Spurs are setting a gold standard, being innovative in new types of relationships with sponsors,” said the Price of Football podcast host.
A general exterior view of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
“Having the Sports Illustrated deal and other similar partnerships is a smart approach. If it works for this stand, it can perhaps be replicated elsewhere.
“Knowing Spurs, there is an opportunity there. We will wait and see, but they are certainly market leaders when it comes to monetising the badge or the real estate assets that they have.
“However, the fact that they haven’t managed to get naming rights over the line means the value of that would-be deal is diminishing every year.”