The NFL has left London this week after their sell out game at Wembley Stadium. The question that is now being raised is about the potential market for the NFL in the UK.

In America, the NFL is a huge success and worth vast amounts of money through sponsorship and merchandising. The question now is if the NFL can grow its popularity in new markets, gaining new audiences around the world.

The league commissioner Roger Goodell has been extremely positive about the last weekend and feels that the game needs to be expanded across borders and continents. The popularity of American football in the UK does face one obstruction, and it is a big one.

Jerod Mayo, linebacker for the New England Patriots sums it up. “When people start to watch American Football, they really love it, but it’s going to be hard to overtake soccer” the player says.

Mr Goodell insists that they are not trying to swing focus away from other sports such as soccer or rugby, but instead to bring the experience of American Football as a new market.

The NFL is very aware of how the economic climate has affected the sport and that appealing to new fans and markets could be key to their survival. As people’s pockets and free cash for spending has dwindled so has the money that has been flowing into the NFL coffers.

In addition to the economic difficulties there is also the potential threat of a player strike in 2011 that could severely damage the game. With all of these issues the NFL is still confident in its fans and the potential to introduce the sport to new fans. If this last weekend’s sell out game is anything to go by, we think he is right!