NFL International to focus on global impact: NFL Europa discontinued (June 29, 2007) -- The NFL has determined that it will switch the focus of its international business strategy to presenting the NFL to the widest possible global audience, including broader media visibility and the staging of international regular-season games, and will discontinue NFL Europa. "The time is right to re-focus the NFL's strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games," commented Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International. "We will continue to build our international fan base by taking advantage of technology and customized digital media that make the NFL more accessible on a global scale than ever before and through the regular-season game experience. NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years and we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development." Last October, NFL owners passed a resolution to stage up to two international regular-season games per season. The new international series will launch on Sunday, October 28 when the Miami Dolphins host the New York Giants at London's Wembley Stadium. In addition to the 2007 game in the United Kingdom, the NFL is preparing to stage regular-season games in future seasons in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany being a strong candidate to host a regular-season NFL game in 2008. NFL Europa began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams competing in the United States and Europe. After a two-year hiatus (1993-94) following the 1992 season, the league returned in 1995 as a six-team, all-European venture, with five teams in Germany since 2005, and has existed in that format through its final season in 2007. http://www.nfl.com/international/story/10240905
I wonder if they will bring it back to the US and have some spring football league. I am not sure how many total players came out of there, but I do know a handful of notables played in NFL Europe. A spring league couldn't hurt.
Let's face it, NFL is an American sport that will never catch on in the rest of the world. Just like soccor will never catch on in the US.
USA beating Mexico drew better ratings than the NHL Playoffs (A sport that was considered the 4th major sport at one time)
I will never understand this statment. US Youth Soccer alone has more than 3 million registered players from U-5 through U-19. I play in a men's league here in Austin that has 7 open divisions, 4 Over 30 divisions, 2 Over 40 divisions and an Over 50 division. Add to that Co-Ed and Women's divisions. I also play at 2 different indoor soccer centers that have waiting lists for teams. Soccer will never catch on in the US?
Sure, people like to play soccer, but it will never be a major spectator sport. Americans either don't understand it, or don't have the attention span for it. Americans have a "bigger is better" culture. We want bigger SUVs, we want our value meals supersized, and we want that 60 inch plasma TV. It's the same way with sports. The NFL and NBA have been trying to increase scoring for years. In baseball, people want to see homers, not singles. To a true soccer fan, a 1-0 match is a masterpiece. To the average American sports fan, it's a snooze fest. I played soccer when I was a kid. Now, I couldn't even watch half of a game.
I'm pretty sure it already has caught on. There is a huge immigrant population that loves the sport, and this number will only get larger.
Never mind, just read about it. I don't understand why these other football leagues want to compete with the NFL during the fall and winter. Spring and summer would be the best time as I get sick of just baseball being on and ESPN doing all these sports-related specials. Wasn't the USFL successful until they tried to compete with the NFL in the fall and winter?
NFL's new international strategy should be not wasting their money having one. Nobody outside of the country gives a **** about the NFL.
