London Calling

     Recently the NFL has flirted with the idea of expanding a team out to Europe, hoping to broaden its fan base. Not only does it care about the fans but the NFL also wants to tap in to a market it could be generating revenue from, which is most likely their prime motivation. In particular though it wants to create a team in London where games are held each year as a promotional event. London's Premier League for soccer is the only sports market that is larger than the NFL, and unlike the NFL the Premier League "can sell the right to broadcast its games to literally hundreds of countries around the globe." (Barnwell) This is the level the NFL wants to be at: connecting with countries from around the world. Also, London is a high income city which would provide the financial backing for a team.
     There are barriers that stand in the way though. The one that comes to mind initially is the issue of traveling. This would not only be difficult for the players but also for the dedicated fans who would have to cross oceans in order to see their team play. As for the fans who actually make the trip across the Atlantic, the cost of going to such an event would be outrageous due to London's high prices. Personally, I don't believe this is a good idea because fans will be lost in the process. Any team that ups and moves to another country is going to lose support immediately from some of its long time followers. Now some might say that's ok due to the new fans that will be generated, but the issue is that these new fans won't consistently show up to the games like the NFL believes. Moving a team to London seems like a good "business" idea, but as far as helping the game out I believe culture and true fans will be lost.

Reference: London Calling Article