From time to time, a stray report emerges regarding the possibility of the Super Bowl being played in London. (Usually, the time for that is when the NFL is promoting its annual London games.)
Most recently, the British ambassador to the U.S. made a public case to host the game.
“I’ve made a big pitch for the [first Super Bowl outside the U.S.](https://www.thetimes.com/article/3f647439-6d7d-469e-a604-797d93ed1cdf?shareToken=1993fa1efcd691b187f11f87e7b77a22) to take place in Britain,” Peter Mandelson told the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on Thursday, via the Times.
“I want that Super Bowl in Britain. I don’t care when it takes place but I want it announced while I’m ambassador,” Mandelson said. “We love it, we love it.”
American fans would not love to see the quintessential American sporting event played in another country. While only a small percentage of football fans ever attend the game, the vast majority believe it must happen on American soil.
Still, if the game was ever played in Britain or Bora Bora or anywhere in between, people would huff and puff and sit their asses down to watch it.
The NFL’s desire to expand its international footprint isn’t quite an obsession, but it’s moving that way. The best evidence of that happening would be exporting the Super Bowl to another country, welcoming the excitement and interest it would create — and ignoring the criticism that would come from American fans.