The NFL has revealed its teams that will be playing in its four London games in 2017. While the exact dates and times remain yet to be revealed, here’s what we know:
In Weeks 3 and 4, Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, the following four teams will face off at Wembley Stadium:
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins
In Weeks 7 and 8, Oct. 22 and Oct. 29, the following four teams will play at Twickenham Stadium:
• Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns
• Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams
The exact dates and times are contingent on the release of the NFL’s full schedule next spring. But the NFL has already indicated it will look to move the games to a 1 p.m. Eastern start time, even though that’s not necessarily the finest viewing or playing experience (that equates to a 6 p.m. local time start).
Granted, that slate of teams is not exactly a world-dominating one. Only two of the teams are even in serious playoff contention, Baltimore and Miami, and neither of those would be in if the playoffs started today. Teams don’t have a choice as to whether they can play in London, but weaker teams do seem to get chosen more often to make the trip, as well as those on the East Coast (the London game will mean a nine-hour time shift for Los Angeles and Arizona).
The NFL has played 17 regular-season games in London since the start of the 2007 season, and as of 2017, 26 teams will have played at least one game there. Jacksonville will have played London games for five consecutive seasons, while Miami will have played in four games and the Saints in two.
The NFL continues to tout London as a viable football market, and claims notable growth in both NFL viewership and American football participation in the United Kingdom since the 2007 season. The logistics of a team in London remain daunting, but as 2017 will feature the most regular season games ever played across the pond, the NFL clearly has its eyes on Merrie Olde England for the future.
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