THE RISE OF AMERICAN SPORTS IN THE UK
Touchdown UK
Perhaps once seen as niche entertainment for expats and those who had trouble sleeping, American sports are now scoring big with UK audiences. The on-field interest is also converting to off-field consumer products sales, with retailers and licensees heavily backing the likes of NFL, NBA and MLB among others. And this growth is set to continue, as Licensing Sports Book discovers.
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rom packed NFL games at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur to a rapidly growing fanbase for the NBA and Major League Baseball, interest in US leagues has surged for UK sports fans over the past few years. The combined star power of David Beckham and Lionel Messi at Inter Miami has even helped to raise the profile of Major League Soccer – something which may have not previously been particularly highly considered in the land of the Premier League.
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The considerable growth in significance of the NFL London series is perhaps the biggest pointer to how Brits have embraced US sports. Sell outs at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur – which is the only purpose built NFL stadium outside of the US, with an NFL playing surface underneath its retractable football pitch, plus dedicated locker rooms for players and cheerleaders – is coupled with experiential activity, takeovers and fan zones across the capital, helping to bring some of the American game day excitement to our shores.
LICENSING SPORTS BOOK 2025
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29/08/2025 16:39