One of the commentators (I think it was on C4) seemed to really like the idea of having this early Sunday kickoff (in US terms) as it opens up a completely new timeslot for them potentially 8 times a season (if London had a franchise) - and I would've thought the NFL would try and schedule games in blocks of away games for London (so they'd have a training base in the US, and maybe have two blocks of four away games with the home games padding around it).

I wonder if an alternate option would be to introduce a 17th game - much like the proposed 39th Premier League game was suggested... so none of the teams would lose a home game, and the 32 teams would play a game at either London or Los Angeles each season (so LA and London would have 8 games each but with different teams each time). Just start the season a week earlier, so the teams would still benefit from a bye week. Those that play at LA one season would play at London the year after, and vice versa. It would also be a better test of if London or LA could hope to support an NFL team over a longer period.

Interesting idea, but the players have been pretty adamant about not wanting any additional games, especially with injuries, in particular concussions, such a hot button subject at the moment.

Agree with this. I can see 8 London games potentially working - especially if it gives you the chance to see as close to 16 different teams. However to start from scratch, with a new London team - I cant see it working until NFL becomes bigger here (which I also cant really see happening for a while).

I think the big problem with a London team is it'd be hard to get people to pay substantial sums regularly to watch a 2-14 team.

I think you'd need a team that was over 0.500 in it's earliest days and I dunno if that's possible.

The game seems to have rated pretty decently with an overnight rating of 6.6

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014...ht-overnights/

To compare the afternoon regional slate of games (1pm/4.05pm) rated 10.6 for CBS and 12.3 for FOX

A negative is that 6.6 is the lowest rated NFL telecast of the season, but that was to be expected because it can be offset to an extent by the game being at 6:30am to the west coast.

The positives are that it was double the highest rating college football games from the Saturday and it was not far behind Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series which rated 8.1, 7.1 and 8.2 over the weekend and were shown in primetime

Need to know what rating the pre game shows normally get. I'm guessing it's nowhere near a 6.6.

Commentary Teams for Week 9.

Saints @ Panthers - NFL Network - Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson.
Cardinals @ Cowboys - Fox - Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews.
Broncos @ Patriots - CBS- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson.
Ravens @ Steelers - NBC - Al Michaels, Chris Collingsworth, Michelle Tafoya.
Colts @ Giants - ESPN - Mike Tirico, Jon Grudden, Lisa Salters.

Saints @ Panthers this evening is on NFL Network, however from what I can tell the usual CBS commentators will be calling the game.

Correct. Nantz & Simms will commentate on all the TNF games, and CBS will still be producing the games as well. Basically, there is no change, apart from only being on NFL Network.

Hopefully we should get a viewing figure number over the next day or two, but as a cautious estimate I would say it would be around the 8+ million mark

Through the first 7 weeks of the season FOX's pregame show averaged 4.75 million, so it would be a healthy increase, while it would be a big lift on the various Sunday morning political/news programmes which get around 3 million viewers.

Final rating for last week's London game has been released, the rating was revised down to 5.5, but the viewing figure number was 8.5 million, a big increase on normal Pre-game or Sunday programming numbers

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014...ls-viewership/

Its not a great figure IMO - I know the game started at a very early time in the west coast, but the vast majority of Americans live in the eastern and central time zone where it had a 9.30/8.30 start.

However the demos watching would still make it very desirable for tv networks.

It's not far short of double what the usual pre game shows get and way more than that game would have got if it was in it's usual 1pm ET slot. I think it's very encouraging and will hopefully see more (ideally all) of the London games next year in that slot. Some have said the ratings were only that high because of the novelty factor but you could argue that the ratings will actually get higher as they do more games in that slot because some people may not have realised there was an early game last week. If it becomes a regular occurrence then it will become part of the ritual of an NFL Sunday.

Have they confirmed if all the London games will be afternoon next year ?
Makes it's easier for me to get home after the games but it definitely felt a flat atmosphere last weekend in Wembley despite the close finish. Afternoon games don't have the same feel as night or in our case early evening games.

All I have read is its 3 games (they wanted 5 but the rugby union World Cup gets in the way), but 2 of the games are on consecutive weekends. This year there is a two weeks gap (today is middle week) between the 2nd and 3rd games.
I guess this is to see if the crowd holds up as I presume a London franchise will play in blocks of two weekends at home in London, then two weeks away in US and so on through the season.

That's still a very early start for people to watch a sports event, and it wasn't exactly a mouth-watering match-up. Neither the Lions or Falcons are what one would consider "national" teams, Calvin Johnson was out injured which would have lessened fantasy football interest, and the Falcons' record was 2-5.

Seems to me it was enough of a success that the early kick-off time will be repeated for at least some of the London games next year, and beyond.

It will probably depend on which teams are playing. Detroit and Atlanta are both on EST, but if either team is from the Mountain or Pacific regions, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a 6 pm UK start. My guess is they will try to have at least one of the London games at the earlier kick-off time next year.

The next step in the evolution will (hopefully) be to ditch having the same rubbish team hosting a game four straight years. Because eventually the novelty will completely wear off and not enough fans will want to watch another crappy Jacksonville performance. I wonder how many additional UK-based Jags fans this little experiment has generated. Seven or eight?

The problem is no decent or well supported team will want to give up a home game to host one in London. That's why teams like the Cowboys, Pats, 49ers, Giants will only come as the away team.

So unless they add a neutral venue 17th game to the schedule we are stuck with the crap poorly supported teams like the Jags or Raiders as a multi game home team.

There was an article a couple of weeks ago which reported that the owners had voted to a clause which stipulated any team who hosts a Superbowl would have to play a home game in London within five years.

It was never officially confirmed or denied, but I was surprised it never got more of an airing over here as it would hint that a London franchise would still be a while off

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...ndon-home-game

Commentary teams for Week 10

Browns @ Bengals - NFL Network - Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson.
Cowboys @ Jaguars - Fox - Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa.
Giants @ Seahawks - Fox - Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews.
Bears @ Packers - NBC - Al Michaels, Chris Collingsworth, Michelle Tafoya.
Panthers @ Eagles - ESPN - Mike Tirico, Jon Grudden, Lisa Salters.

International series game 3 coverage is by Fox and it's the first appearance for "the Moose and Goose" on Sky this season. It's a double header week in the US for FOX however as we predicted earlier in the thread this is not the primary game. For most of the US the double header will be 49ers @ Saints followed by Giants @ Seahawks.

On a separate note the International Series games for 2015 are announced today. Announcement expected shortly after 3pm.
Source www.nfluk.com

NFL network reporter Kimberly Jones on Twitter: Miami Herald reports the Jets will play the Dolphins [in London] in 2015. I'm told Jets vs Dolphins in London in 2015 will be 1st division game ever as part of international series. It is a Dolphins home game.

They finally bring over what looks like it could be a decent 'home' team so we could get a good game and then they go and pair them with the Jets! On paper it looks like another stinker.

Sun Oct 4th New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins

Sun Oct 25 Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sun Nov 1 Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs

Things can change in a year but yikes that's a sucky set of games yet again. Can only hope they are in the early slot now to keep them out of the way of RedZone.

I was on a plane to New York last Monday (27/10) with the Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders travelling back home from their Wembley game. Just saying. And boasting I guess.

Haha, tip of the hat to you Sir!

Kenny Albert + "Moose and Goose" got demoted from Number 2 Team to Number 3 Team this season behind Joe Buck/Troy Aikman and then Kevin Burkhardt & John Lynch who promoted above them. Not sure why FOX decided to do that but it by default means less "Moose and Goose" on Sky unless they are choosing FOX's third choice matches.