Here's Why the Jaguars Play in London Every NFL Season
By Brendan Balsamo
Seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars make their way across the Atlantic Ocean every single season to play a game in London, England may make some NFL fans paranoid.
Thanks to ESPN's Trey Wingo, it has now become clear that that paranoia is unfounded, and that the Jaguars aren't relocating any time soon.
Spoke to a @Jaguars source today who wanted to make it clear: The extra London game is about maximizing revenue which goes toward building a top of the line downtown stadium experience in Jacksonville long term
— trey wingo (@wingoz) February 4, 2020
Wingo's tweet comes after the early morning report of the news that the Jaguars will be playing back-to-back home games in London in 2020, a first for the league. On the contrary to what the NFL's motivations may seem to be, there are no plans to end up moving the franchise to London. It is, in fact, just the opposite.
London games bring in twice the revenue of regular home games. This is NOT a first step toward relocation. It’s the opposite: making sure Jags stay in Jacksonville long term.
— trey wingo (@wingoz) February 4, 2020
The revenue generated from London games are massive. Because of the limited number of NFL games in Europe per year, fans flock to these games, which are typically held at Wembley Stadium. It makes sense that these games make so much money, as TIAA Bank Field, the Jaguars home stadium, has a capacity of 67,164, while Wembley, primarily a soccer stadium, can hold 90,000 fans.
The Jaguars today will play two of their home games at Wembley Stadium over consecutive Sundays in London in 2020, making them the first team in NFL history to play two home games outside of the United States in the same regular season. Opponents TBD. Big news.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 4, 2020
Because of the money generated in London, the Jaguars can further improve their American facilities and stay in Jacksonville for the long-term. The paranoia of the NFL leaving America can now end.