How the Jaguars Made Themselves at Home in London

LONDON — The N.F.L. has held regular-season games in this city since 2007, with the goal of expanding American football’s grip beyond the United States.

But until this season, the teams that “hosted” the games did so nominally: The N.F.L. organized every aspect of the games in London — from ticket sales to the music piped in over loud speakers to the food served — with generic branding that negated any potential home-field advantage.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be the N.F.L. team most familiar with this arrangement. But it wasn’t until Sunday, against the Denver Broncos, that the Jaguars had the authority to make their ninth match in London more like a true home game. The team had control over the sale of more than 86,000 tickets and reaped the income from the Scratch and Claw hot dog and the chicken and chips served Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

“All the other games in London felt 50-50,” said Sam Farley, a native of Cornwall, England, who has been to every N.F.L. game in London for the past three years. “The Jaguars really are trying to be London’s team.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/sports/football/jaguars-broncos-london.html