There are “tonne of different factors” that go into the planning of the NFL schedule in Europe, said the NFL UK head Henry Hodgson.
There are 32 teams in the National Football League, split into two conferences.
Each team plays 17 games across 18 weeks of the regular season.
The teams use a total of 30 stadiums in the US, but they can sometimes be unavailable because of concerts and other events.
When planning for NFL games in Europe, the regular uses of the stadiums have to be considered too.
“You’ve got soccer teams who will factor into it,” Hodgson told BBC Sport. “So you’re looking at Fifa windows when there are games being played internationally.”
There is also the task of ensuring broadcast partners in the US get a fair share of games, as well as factoring in the levels of interests for different teams.
There are partnerships with stadiums in the UK, specifically the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium.
The NFL has a deal with Tottenham, until 2029, to use the stadium’s bespoke American football pitch for games.
Hodgson said: “We work with them on an annual basis to make sure that we’re tied in with them on when those games can take place.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars, meanwhile, hold a relationship with Wembley Stadium for match events.
“We work with those two stadiums and then other stadiums around Europe on a regular basis,” Hodgson added.
Matches for the 2025 season will also be held at Croke Park in Dublin, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and Madrid’s Bernabeu as well as the Corinthians Arena in Brazil.
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