The NFL: Could it? Should it? Will it?

Article by Alex Underwood

The number 000772541 probably means nothing to virtually anyone, but it does to NFL Properties. The 9 numbers are the Trademark reference for the NFL Europe for which the NFL controls until at least 2018.

When the door slammed shut on the league in 2007 in favour of the International Series the intention was for the series to be extended across the globe and into mainland Europe. The problem with this plan is there are simply too many Cities for such few games, and the number of games the league can send has probably reached its limit. For London the games success has cemented its place in the NFL calendar and reducing the number of games in London would be a public relations nightmare in the UK. So how can the NFL pull the rest of the continent into the party? In Germany the Frankfurt Galaxy is back on the football landscape in the GFL thanks to the “generosity” of the NFL. In reality it’s a good way of seeing the brands long term appeal, but other than that is a small statement of little significance unless you are a fan in Frankfurt.

The NFL failed in Europe for various reasons but the big problem was poor management, bad image and lost revenue. The league got to a point where it was disliked by the bulk of European football fans, especially in Scotland where a successful team (the Claymores) were axed and shipped to Germany. Even in Germany where top teams flourished there was discontent, Robert Huber of the German governing body AFVD commented “We opened some bottles of champagne, said hooray they are gone, and then we stepped in the gap they left and rebuilt our whole organization”. The NFLE caused massive problems in Germany with a drop in participation, teams and attendance in the domestic leagues. Furthermore the GFL’s Hamburg Blue Devils, had to compete with the NFLE Hamburg Sea Devils and lost. The result left the Devils broken and their time in the German top flight over, probably for good. So if the NFL’s next European adventure is a fresh look at NFL Europe, it would have to be done very differently.

The very first mistake to avoid it timing, any new league would have to avoid the existing domestic leagues in Europe. Not adhering to this will instantly cause issues. If the NFLE returned it would either have to avoid Spring altogether, or communicate with European leagues so it would “fit in”. With the EFAF gone that challenge becomes tricky and getting the IFAF and the GFL together to solve timing is a whole new issue.

If timing was solved the next issue that would need addressing is image and money! The league would need to start small and relatively cheap (for example small stadiums) and then build the brand so it fits in with demand, as the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. The boost in popularity within Europe would gain sponsors and attractive TV deals and providing expenses can be kept small the league would have a chance to break even. If it worked the bad feeling from many fans would eventually solve itself.

So where would they target? Without sounding biased the Monarchs could return successfully and the Claymores (with their fantastic fans) would be awesome. When I read American Football’s forgotten Kings: the rise and fall of the London Monarchs by Alex Cassidy it re ignited my belief in the Monarchs brand and the memories that go with it. It’s a book I would recommend to anyone, simply to inforce what we could have in Europe if it was developed correctly. Other targets would of course be Germany, Austria, and possibly France. 

I’d like to finish on the finance of the NFL since the NFLE disbanded. The league is run as a “not for profit trade organisation” according to IRS form 990 for which the league must operate. Under this form it must disclose the pay of the most senior executives; however in 2007 they only listed Roger Goodell. In 2008 they did add a further 25 however appealed to congress for exemption from other proposed changes, and in doing so were able to hide its other expenses. Later in 2014 financial analysts at Bloomberg looked closely at the NFL’s finance report and published “The NFL’s secret finances: a $10 Billion dollar mystery”. In short the report found that after the teams and the league had taken their percentage, $10B was unaccounted for and the NFL has no obligation to release any details. You may be asking yourself, who cares? The way I see it the price we all pay to watch football and the revenue they gain in Europe, I want a bigger percentage of that money invested in Europe and not helping Goodell reach his revenue goal of $27B by 2027. Thankfully I’m not alone, back in Germany a number of “new” Galaxy fans are planning to go to Wembley in Galaxy merchandise and voice their opinion.

I believe the NFLE can work and can be profitable if it is done correctly. The atmosphere in Europe is ready as is the fan base. As of yet no forecast report on its financial feasibility has been published. Furthermore fans in Europe have not been asked and so for the NFL to just dismiss the idea is foolish. If you have forgotten the WLAF or never experienced what it was like, read Alex’s book!