£780m deal could make Tottenham play Premier League matches in the US - finance expert
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Tottenham’s spiritual home will always be North London, but Daniel Levy and his peers in the Spurs boardroom are increasingly targeting international markets for brand exposure and commercial gains.
Spurs have been prolific in South Korea, for example, for obvious reasons.
The commercial impact of a specific player from a certain nation can sometimes be overstated, but the hyperbole is entirely justified in the case Son Heung-min at Tottenham.
This week they have recently announced new commercial deals with companies targeting the Malaysian, Middle East and South American markets.
But perhaps their most significant commercial drive is in the United States thanks to their affiliation with the NFL.
The NFL was in North London again recently, with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears all playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The NFL have strong ties with Spurs dating back several years now, with the American football league contributing an eight-figure sum to the construction of the stadium.
Now, that association could be set to reach dizzy new heights.
Tottenham will be the biggest beneficiaries of new NFL target, says finance expert
Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, is one of the most powerful and influential people in sport.
Earlier this week, Goodell revealed that the NFL is planning to take eight more matches overseas, taking the total number in the International Series to 16.
With Spurs banking several million from the NFL every time they play in North London, they will welcome the news that their visits could potentially become more frequent.
“As far as Spurs are concerned, they are the NFL’s first choice,” said Kieran Maguire, football finance lecturer at Liverpool University, Price of Football author, and football industry insider.
“They have a state-of-the-art stadium that they future-proofed when the designed it. It has been created to empty the wallets of fans. And don’t forget, NFL fans are used to paying premium prices.
“I imagine Spurs will be in consideration. I think this will be a major beneficiary, especially combined with the council’s decision to increase the number of events they are allowed to hold.
“Spurs are looking for the most lucrative options to fill those slots and the NFL is clearly one.”
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NFL chain reaction: Could Tottenham soon play competitive matches in America?
Privately, many big-name clubs want to take their matches outside their traditional locale.
The backlash from the European Super League means very few will say that publicly, but the NFL deal could start mission creep towards a non-UK Premier League match overseas, Maguire projects.
“Spurs are in prime position to take advantage of the NFL expansion,” he said.
“Clubs will be looking in the opposite direction too. If the NFL can get £780m from matches takin place in Europe, can the Premier League get a similar deal for eight matches in overseas markets?
The idea of a ’39th game’ has been mooted for many years, but the mood music within the football finance industry is that it is creeping closer.
The United States, where the Premier League Summer Series has not provided the exposure or buy-in that Richard Masters hoped, would undoubtedly be the first destination.
Spurs have targeted Asia as a pre-season destination more regularly than America, most due to the natural associations they have with the region through Son.
