NFL helping fund new Tottenham Hotspur stadium - sources

[JonLP24]

The NFL is helping to fund Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium and has contributed £10 million ($12.8m) to the project so far, sources have told ESPN FC.

The initial payment, recorded in the club's financial results, will go towards the tailoring of the 61,000-seater stadium for the hosting of NFL matches.

It is the first part of a significant contribution from the NFL to the overall cost of Spurs' new home, which it is estimated will be around £800m.

Tottenham have agreed a 10-year deal for the NFL to host a minimum of two matches per year at the stadium, which is expected to open for the start of the 2018-19 season.

(snip)

Speaking last year, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy told ESPN: "If it ever got to a stage where the NFL decided it wanted to have a permanent team in London, this stadium could literally be their stadium as opposed to an NFL team feeling they're renting Tottenham's stadium."

Mark Waller, the NFL executive vice-president who is working with Levy on the project, has said the NFL hopes to have a permanent franchise in London by 2020.

http://www.espnfc.com/tottenham-hotspur/story/3108630/nfl-helping-fund-new-tottenham-hotspur-stadium-sources

[sharp_stick]

1. Could you imagine how much fun it would be for a team like the Seahawks

or Cowboys to travel to London for a game only to get back home for another one the next week? I suppose you could try to schedule teams travelling to London for bye weeks when they get home but if they ever managed to get a home playoff or two in London it would be a nightmare.

I think the idea of putting a permanent team at least 5 time zones, and as many as 8 away from any existing team isn't very smart.

[LisaM]

3. I clicked on this story because it was Spurs, but I'm actually not a fan of the London games.

Among other things, they come on at 6:30 in the morning on the West Coast. My friends in Michigan like it, but it's just too early on a Sunday to get up and watch a game.

[JonLP24]

4. My Cardinals play the Rams in London and Im not looking forward to it at all

because of the 6:30 reason but luckily it is a road game, it comes before the bye week, and the time zone affect will be the same for both teams.

[LisaM]

2. COYS!

I just hope they don't give it a terrible name.