Jaguars Become First To Play Two Home NFL Games In London
The Jacksonville Jaguars will become the first NFL team to play two regular season home games in London, the franchise has confirmed.
The Jaguars will play two home games at Wembley Stadium over consecutive Sundays as part of the 2020 London Games.
The team has played one match in London every year since 2013, always at Wembley, and say the addition of a second game this time around demonstrates the franchise’s commitment to NFL fans in the UK.
“The ability to play two home games, back to back, at Wembley Stadium over this season will further entrench the Jaguars’ popularity in London and throughout the UK during a time when the popularity of the NFL continues to grow rapidly in Europe and elsewhere beyond the United States,” said Shahid Khan, Owner, Jacksonville Jaguars.
“We’re privileged to be the first team in NFL history to play two home games in London during a single season and plan to make the most of it on game days and every day of the year,” he continued. “We’re really looking forward to deepening our relationship with London and the UK as a whole, and would also like to thank our fans in the UK who have been phenomenal ever since our first visit, seven years ago.”
In recent years, the Jaguars’ presence in the UK has extended beyond the London Games. The franchise’s grassroots programme, JagTag, engages with some 67,000 children aged 11-18 through a three-day residential training camp, The Jaguars Academy, which is hosted by elite level American football coaches and legends. It has long been rumoured that the Jaguars are in pole position if any franchise were to relocate to London.
The news was welcomed by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who says the move shows that London is open for worldwide business.
“London is the sporting capital of the world,” he said, “so I am absolutely delighted that the Jacksonville Jaguars have committed to playing two of their home games in our city from this year.
“The Jags have captured the imagination of Londoners and fans come from all over the UK and Europe to sample the incredible sporting action and unique atmosphere of the NFL. This is another major coup for our great city – and shows once again that London is open for world-class sporting events.”
Mark Burrows, Chief Operating Officer at The FA, said: “This is great news for NFL, and in particular Jaguars fans in the UK, and we are excited to host many thousands of passionate supporters at our world-class venue later this year.
“Wembley Stadium is an iconic venue that hosts the biggest and best events and since our first NFL game in 2007 the fixtures have become an important part of the stadium’s history. We look forward welcoming the Jacksonville Jaguars for unprecedented back-to-back games in London this year and continuing our relationship with the NFL that has seen more than 1.9 million fans attend the 23 games we have hosted to date.”
