NFL supporters in the United States have learnt of the United Kingdom’s efforts to secure a Super Bowl on British soil in the forthcoming years – a matter that was recently raised with the Chicago Council. Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the United States, has revealed that he has ‘made a big pitch’ to bring a Super Bowl match to the UK. The venue for such a contest would almost certainly be London, which already hosts three NFL fixtures each season.
Mandelson, a London native and resident, has held numerous meetings with Donald Trump, whilst professing to be an enthusiast of the sport – eager to witness the season’s premier contest on British shores amid its expanding popularity in the nation.
Speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Mandelson declared: “I’ve made a big pitch for the first Super Bowl outside the US to take place in Britain. I want that Super Bowl in Britain. I don’t care when it takes place, but I want it announced while I’m ambassador,” he continued. “We love it, we love it.”
A cherished occasion for families and friends, the Super Bowl serves as America’s unofficial national celebration, whilst remaining a relatively specialist sport in Britain.
Having recognised this has emerged as a discussion point, numerous individuals have voiced opposition to the notion of a Super Bowl taking place in England or any location beyond American borders. Speaking on his ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast, Barstool Sports’ personality Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz fiercely opposed the prospect of a Super Bowl ever taking place in London.
He declared: “You can’t give up our Super Bowl, it’s our crowing achievement as a society. It’s the Super Bowl, it’s ours!”
Before this outburst, he had berated one of his co-hosts who had discussed the possibility of the Super Bowl being staged outside of the United States.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror in 2023, NFL UK general manager Henry Hodgson acknowledged it would be extraordinarily challenging to envisage a Super Bowl occurring outside of the United States – despite their aspirations of eventually making it happen.
Hodgson explained: “I certainly would not rule out the likelihood of a Super Bowl happening here and it’s good for us to aspire to one day. But from my perspective, the Super Bowl is so intertwined with the United States and is such an American moment that I think it could be quite a difficult one, for another market to pull it away from them.
“There are certainly logistical challenges around timings as well, but primarily the Super Bowl, you know it’s that moment where all of America has their TV switched to the same thing, with the national anthem being sung etc. It’s hard for me to believe that we can take it to the UK. But we can dream and we should have goals that are hard to achieve and it should be one.”
The location for the 2029 Super Bowl is yet to be decided, with Las Vegas and Nashville currently leading the race. Dallas is also in the running.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium has only hosted the prestigious event once before, back in 2011.
