How big is the NFL in UK?

[doing_it_live]

Ok, so last year I was in London visiting my cousins and it just so happened I was there while the Pat's were playing the Buc's at Wembley. It seemed to me that most Brits are not very interested in watching American Football. Also I always have an argument with my cousins who say Rugby is more of a mans game and our football players cant take hits and have to wear padding. Any Americans working in the UK have any insight?

[Riffraff]

Not working there now, but lived there for a few years.

 

Obviously, nowhere near the love for soccer or cricket, but the NFL has a decent following there. They don't have a large scale version of the CFL, UFL, or European league (anymore) but they have plenty of smaller semi-pro leagues there. Some of those teams adopt NFL team names/helmets.

[i_am_the_swammi]

My cousin's college is currently having tryouts for its inaugural spring American football season (Rugby is played in the fall). He said there were about 75 kids who tried out, and they are keeping around 40. Its a club team, similar in nature to Rugby being a club sport here in the states.

 

While there are not enough fans to fill 15 stadiums around Great Britiain each Sunday, there are more than enough fans and transplanted Americans to fill Wembley one Sunday a year. And with all the new fans (kids like my cousin who stay up very very late on Sundays and are into fantasy football), they are feasting on NFL merchandise/programming.

 

Its here to stay.

[Ursa Majoris]

While there are not enough fans to fill 15 stadiums around Great Britiain each Sunday, there are more than enough fans and transplanted Americans to fill Wembley one Sunday a year.

Yep. Tickets sell out for Wembley in minutes. The annual NFL visit is a big and popular event.