NFL in the UK: Where we are and what happens next?

The NFL's International Series has been a fixture on the British sporting calendar since 2007.

A lot has changed since the New York Giants took on the Miami Dolphins on a wet October night seven years ago.

No longer a footnote in the consciousness of British sports fans, the NFL now sells out England's national football stadium on a consistent basis.

But what's next for the sport in the UK?

The pre-match entertainment at Wembley is as over the top as you'd expect from an NFL game

It all started with the first league game ever held outside North America.

From that single match the International Series has grown and developed.

This year we've seen three sell-out games each watched by more than 80,000 people at Wembley.

Since 2007, more than half of the league's 32 teams have travelled to London to play with more coming next year.

The league's UK office has shown it's capable of meeting the logistical challenges of hosting the games.

Joss Stone performed before kick-off before the Jacksonville v Dallas match

We know the boss of the NFL wants a team based in London permanently. There's talk that it could happen in the next 10 years or so.

It's all part of the NFL's plan to widen the appeal of the league globally to help it make more money.

And it's not just cash for the NFL, a recent report estimated the move could also be worth around £100m a year to local businesses.

To reach that goal there are obvious logistical challenges to be sorted out but what about the emotional ones?

Could the league be expanded to include a new team? Or would one of the current 32 teams move over?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the 17 teams who've played in London

Watching the games at Wembley, you see a crowd peppered with jerseys from all 32 NFL teams.

So in order to create a viable, vibrant team based here the big challenge in the next few years will be working out how to get those same fans to come together behind one identity or to at least be willing to share their allegiances.

And then there's the issue of what you would call the team? London Royals is one suggestion on Twitter, don't be surprised if the market research starts soon.

Jack Crawford was born in London

Currently there are just four British-born players making a living in the NFL.

Having more of them playing consistently in the league is one way of giving the fans more reasons to keep coming to watch. But that's easier said than done.

At the moment around 3,700 adults play competitive American Football in the UK. There are also around 4,000 people either in playing or coaching in the university American Football set up here and more than 1,000 under-19 players.

Putting more effort into increasing the participation at these grassroots levels is one way of making sure that there are more Jack Crawfords and Menelik Watsons playing in the league in the future.

Dallas Cowboys beat Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17 in the third game played in London this year

Questions have been asked about the pitch at Wembley

The pitch at Wembley has often been talked about as a problem that needs sorting in the future.

Players have often slipped and lost their footing, questions have been asked about it in post-match press conferences and analysts talk about it before the game.

It's also an issue for the other teams who play their respective sports at the stadium.

Given how the pitch gets cut to shreds after an NFL game, England boss Roy Hodgson recently questioned the scheduling of the Dallas Cowboys v Jacksonville Jaguars match just six days before his side take on Slovenia there in a Euro 2016 qualifier.

So with more games coming Wembley's way, getting a new pitch installed will surely have to be considered? Maybe a similar design to the one recently installed at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff?

Whatever happens next in the NFL's development here in the UK, it's safe to say that we'll be seeing more helmets and shoulder pads at Wembley in the near future.

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