Wembley National Stadium has been listed as a candidate to host the event
BUFFALO, N.Y. (Jan. 19, 2006) – The NFL recently announced that London will host a regular-season NFL game in 2007, and Wembley National Stadium is one of the locations currently under consideration. Delaware North Companies is an investor in the 90,000-seat stadium, and also holds a 25-year contract for complete food service operations at the stadium. This contract includes corporate hospitality, casual dining, and retail operations. The world-class stadium is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar face-lift, and if the stadium is ready before the 2007 season begins, it is favored to be named the venue for the game.
“Wembley Stadium is an ideal stadium to hold an event of this caliber and Delaware North would be proud to be providing the hospitality for this historical global event,” said Simon Dobson, Managing Director of Delaware North Companies United Kingdom. “When open, Wembley Stadium is going to be a world class stadium and this is exactly the sort of international event that the stadium has been designed to stage.”
According to a press release from the NFL, London was selected as the host city based on several factors including world-class stadium venues, the size and value of the overall entertainment market, sponsorship and fan engagement, current NFL visibility through existing media agreements, and general fan interest of the NFL in the United Kingdom.
All decisions regarding the game – which include the venue, date, and participating teams – will be announced by the NFL during Superbowl week (Jan. 29- Feb. 4) in South Florida.
This will mark the first time a regular-season NFL game will be played outside of North America, and only the second time a regular-season game has been played off of American soil. The first took place in Mexico City in 2005 between the San Francisco 49ers® and the Arizona Cardinals® at Azteca Stadium. A crowd of 103,467 were in attendance – an NFL record for a regular-season game.
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