Matchroom Live Multi-Sport OTT Platform Launches

Matchroom Sport has launched Matchroom Live, a platform built and operated by sports streaming and video technology specialists StreamAMG, to give sports fans worldwide access to its portfolio of events.

The service allows fans to delve into the history books of all Matchroom’s offerings from Boxing to Darts to Snooker and many more for free. Fresh archive footage will be added continuously ensuring every sports fan has countless hours of sport to watch wherever they are in the world.

Fans will also be able to live stream ongoing events through a subscription package and pay-per-view options in territories without current broadcast rights holders. This will give fans direct access to the action including the World Darts Championship and Premier League Darts, Pool’s Mosconi Cup and World Pool Championship, plus the World Snooker Championship and the remainder of Matchroom Sport’s catalogue of live events.

Matchroom Live can be accessed on a dedicated video platform, with the ability to cast to virtually any device whether that be a console, Smart TV, or connected device. The service will also allow fans to watch up to four live events at once with the unique ‘QuadPlay’ view.

To provide a capable, flexible and future-proof platform for Matchroom, StreamAMG has employed the StreamPlay end-to-end solution, which combines a suite of video technology to offer a full OTT service and handle every aspect of sports streaming. Built on a fast and light architecture powered by the award-winning CloudMatrix content population system, fans benefit from best-in-class viewing experience across devices.

About StreamAMG: Stream Advanced Media Group provides online video solutions for media owners who insist on reliability, flexibility and scale. StreamAMG partners with organisations across sports, media and betting to build and implement fantastic user experiences. StreamAMG is recognised as a leader in video technology, live streaming and sports OTT, delivering over 30 million hours of live content and over 8,000 events per year.

Bundesliga Season To Return In May

Germany’s Bundesliga has been boosted by the news that it will be able to return to competition later this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that football can resume in the country this month, behind closed doors, after discussions amongst the government.

The country has been able to restrict the movement of coronavirus far greater than other major European nations, such as Italy, Spain, France and the UK, therefore opening the door to a return to competition.

A number of smaller European leagues, including two more major leagues such as the Dutch and French league have opted to cancel the season, but the Bundesliga, as well as Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League would likely face severe financial consequences were their seasons not to come to a conclusion.

This decision is likely to influence that of the other major leagues in those countries that have suffered far greater from COVID-19 than Germany, who will feel they must also ensure the completion of their campgains.

Umbro Announce Four-Year Partnership With England Rugby

England Rugby and Umbro have today announced a new four-year partnership. The English sports brand will be the Official Technical Kit Partner from 1st September 2020, when the iconic double-diamond of Umbro will be worn by the England Men’s teams, Red Roses, Sevens and age grade teams.

Umbro will provide the team’s match kit, training wear and off-field kit as well as offering fans a full range of supporter wear including men’s, women’s and children’s ranges from 1st September 2020. Umbro join England Rugby next season with nearly a hundred years of experience in the development of performance products that have been tried and tested at elite level, across sports.

Renowned for its pedigree supporting professional teams, Umbro has a heritage in rugby union; having previously supported each of the home nations, multiple clubs and the only British & Irish Lions team to win a series in New Zealand, in 1971.

The brand’s extensive experience across sports and its pioneering approach to developing kit and rigorous testing has ensured Umbro is ready for rugby.

Anthony Little, Managing Director – Umbro, commented: “The partnership between Umbro and England Rugby from September is a seminal chapter in our history.  The first time the England rugby team runs out onto the pitch, wearing the double-diamond logo, will be a proud moment for us, as an English brand.”

“Modern rugby is demanding but our approach at Umbro has always been to make sure our kits are fit for purpose and  we have been working tirelessly to ensure that we meet those demands and deliver a kit that will perform for England Rugby.”

“Simon Massie-Taylor, Chief Commercial Officer, England Rugby commented on the partnership: “We are delighted to be entering this new chapter with Umbro as Official Technical Kit Partner from September and welcome them into the England Rugby family. Umbro has a rich heritage supporting English sports and share our values in dedication to high performance and innovation. We look forward to unveiling the new kit later this year.”

Infront Announces New Pan-Asia Managing Director

Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, announced today that Infront Pan-Asia Managing Director Ian Mathie has decided to leave Infront to pursue a new challenge. David Nivelle, currently Director at FIBA Marketing in Switzerland, will replace Mathie as Managing Director at Infront Pan-Asia.

The management transition is scheduled for the beginning of the third quarter, during which time Mathie will continue to lead Infront Pan-Asia supported by Julien Ternisien, Senior Vice-President Summer Sports and Chairman of the Infront Pan-Asia Steering Committee.

Infront President & CEO Philippe Blatter said: “Ian’s leadership and personal commitment have been instrumental in the development of our operations in Singapore and in ensuring our clients’ success there. I would like to thank Ian sincerely for his valuable contribution during his tenure and wish him all the very best for his next endeavours.”

“David brings a wealth of experience in the field of commercial development, general management as well as a significant track record and network in Asian sports business. In his role at FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership venture between FIBA and Infront, David significantly contributed to the successful delivery of the FIBA World Cup 2019, which featured a record number of Global Partners for FIBA. He will ensure the continuity of our operations at Infront Pan-Asia and in addition to pursuing business development initiatives in South East Asia, David will continue to be available to the successful FIBA Marketing partnership in this key region for basketball,” he added.

Mathie commented: “I have enjoyed a very successful period leading Infront Pan-Asia during a crucial phase of development of the sports industry in Asia. After seven years of growing the business and following major achievements such as securing the partnership with the BWF, I feel that now is the right time to embrace new professional challenges. I would like to thank my excellent team and all my Infront colleagues for being part of this wonderful journey.”

The continuity and growth of Infront’s unique and successful partnership with FIBA is additionally enforced by the joint decision to appoint Andreas Biffiger (currently Head of Basketball at Infront) as Director of FIBA Marketing. Andreas will bring the wealth of his experience and energy to this partnership in order to ensure its next phase of growth.

Vuelta a España And Giro D’Italia Overlap In New 2020 UCI Calendar

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today announces the revised 2020 calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour, with a view to the resumption of the cycling season, halted due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic which has struck most of the world.

Since the interruption of the cycling season in March, an intensive consultation process involving the principal representatives of the families of men’s and women’s professional road cycling – organisers, teams and riders – has been carried out at the initiative of the UCI in order to draw up new calendars. These have been approved by the UCI Management Committee and, today, by the stakeholders of men’s professional road cycling via the Professional Cycling Council (PCC), which has exclusive competence over the UCI WorldTour calendar.

Given the evolution of the world health situation, on 15 April the UCI decided to extend the suspension period of competitions on the UCI International Road Calendar until 1st July (until 1st August for races on the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour calendars). Our Federation also committed to revealing the new calendars before 15 May. After several weeks of discussions and collection of feedback – including from health authorities of concerned countries -, the UCI feels it now has enough information to be able, today, to communicate the dates, unanimously approved by the participants of the meetings, of the events on the revised 2020 calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour. However these dates, crucial for stakeholders, naturally remain subject to the lifting, until the end of the season, of the restrictions relating to the organisation of events put in place by the authorities in the concerned territories. We note that the situation is a changing one, which could mean the UCI may need to adjust the calendar to take into account the development of the pandemic.

UCI WorldTour

In agreement with all the stakeholders, the UCI has established a revised 2020 UCI WorldTour which will start with the Strade Bianche on 1st August and finish with the Vuelta Ciclista a España on 8 November. The series will include 25 events, after the five events held at the beginning of the season – Santos Tour Down Under (Australia), Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (Australia), UAE Tour (United Arab Emirates), Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (Belgium) and Paris-Nice (France) -, and the cancellation of six events at the request of their organisers due to the effects of the pandemic – E3 BinckBank Classic (Belgium), Tour de Romandie (Switzerland), Tour de Suisse (Switzerland), Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (Spain), Itzulia Basque Country (Spain) and Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa (Spain).

Featuring among the 25 events are 17 one-day races, including the five Monuments (Milano-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège et Il Lombardia) and eight stage races, including the three Grands Tours. It can be noted that the new 2020 calendar includes, in line with the UCI’s commitment made on 18 March, the biggest races of road cycling’s historical heritage. Regarding the Grands Tours, the length of the Vuelta Ciclistica a España (20 October – 8 November) has been shortened by one weekend at the request of the organiser, Unipublic, which has received confirmation from the authorities of the city of Utrecht that the conditions cannot be met for a Grand Depart in the Netherlands. The UCI would like to thank the organiser for the request to reduce the length of their event, which is in line with the general interest of the calendar. The length of the Giro d’Italia remains unchanged. It should also be highlighted that it has been possible to find space in the calendar for almost all the other UCI WorldTour events whose organisers did not request cancellation due to the health crisis. With the Aigle-Martigny 2020 UCI Road World Championships taking place in Switzerland at the scheduled dates, the 2020 season proposes a large majority of the most prestigious races originally registered on the year’s UCI International Road Calendar.

Despite the constraints linked to the desire to maintain as many races as possible in a limited space of time, the new calendar obeys a logic which provides a maximum of opportunities for different types of riders: alternating stage races and one-day races in August, which will enable the riders to gradually readapt to the rhythm of competition after three months of limited activity for some; the Tour de France, UCI Road World Championships, Giro d’Italia, Ardennes and Flanders events; and to close the season, the Vuelta Ciclista a España.

UCI President David Lappartient declared: “We have drawn up a solid, attractive and varied new calendar that is as realistic and coherent as possible. This has been achieved as early as was practicable and in line with information available today concerning the evolution of the pandemic. Riders, teams and organisers now have the dates they need to anticipate the resumption of racing on 1st August.

“This is a very important step that the entire cycling community, financially impacted by the pandemic, has been waiting for to move forward. I would like to acknowledge the spirit of solidarity and responsibility shown by all players – in this respect I thank Unipublic which accepted to reduce the length of the Vuelta Ciclista a España – and the courage that the families of professional cycling have demonstrated in these difficult times.

“We will continue to move forward together towards the resumption of the season, nevertheless with the reminder that the health of riders and all concerned parties is still the overriding priority, and that the recommencement of our activities will remain dependent on the evolution of the world health situation.”

Rory McIlroy And Dustin Johnson To Feature In Live PGA Tour Charity Match This Month

The PGA TOUR, NBC Sports and Sky Sports today announced the return of televised golf with TaylorMade Driving Relief, centered around a $3 million charity skins match supported by UnitedHealth Group to raise money and awareness for the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation, two organizations helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts.

On Sunday, May 17, from Seminole Golf Club, TaylorMade Driving Relief will feature two-time FedExCup champion and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Dustin Johnson, teaming up against two Oklahoma State University alumni: PGA TOUR superstar Rickie Fowler and 2019 first-time TOUR winner and 2019 NCAA National Champion Matthew Wolff. The competition will follow strict CDC social distancing guidelines, local mandates and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site.

Additionally, Farmers Insurance® has pledged $1 million to back a birdies-and-eagle pool to benefit Off Their Plate, a charitable organization helping COVID-19 healthcare workers and impacted frontline shift employees.

Building upon this initial fundraising of $4 million, PGA TOUR Charities will announce a Text-To-Donate activation and online donation platform powered by GoFundMe to allow viewers to make additional contributions and raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through the TaylorMade Driving Relief event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With four of the PGA TOUR’s top stars in Rory, Rickie, Dustin and Matthew of Team TaylorMade participating and UnitedHealth Group serving as the foundation of charitable giving, and Farmers Insurance providing an additional bonus pool, golf fans around the world can look forward to a unique, interactive and entertaining event that will help those in need.”

 

Sir Bill Beaumont Re-Elected World Rugby Chairman

Sir Bill Beaumont has called on the game to become more united than ever and get working immediately to achieve sustainable growth in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic after being elected for a second term as World Rugby Chairman.

Beaumont achieved a first-round simple majority of 28-23 in the election which was independently managed by PwC, standing against Agustín Pichot. Standing unopposed, Fédération Française de Rugby President Bernard Laporte was elected the new Vice-Chairman. A new Executive Committee was also confirmed with seven new members elected to join the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chief Executive and two independents Angela Ruggiero and Lord Mervyn Davies.

The results will officially be confirmed at World Rugby’s annual meeting of Council on 12 May after which the new leadership’s four-year mandate will begin. Both candidates agreed to an early announcement given the process concluded at first round stage and no further votes were required for the Vice-Chairman and Executive Committee positions.

Beaumont, in partnership with Laporte, will build on strong foundations to deliver a mandate of progressive reform, uniting stakeholders for the betterment of the game for all.

This will include enhanced governance reform, an aligned and integrated approach to the global calendar, accelerated prioritisation of player welfare, injury-prevention and modified contact variants, accelerated promotion of the women’s game and sustainable investment the sport.

Work is progressing on a global women’s 15s competition and a global men’s emerging nations 15s competition that, alongside a record number of fixtures against top nations, targets union competition needs, provides opportunity for all, enhances Rugby World Cup performance and delivers an annual champion.

“I am honoured to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation’s Chairman once again and would like to thank my union and region colleagues, members of the global rugby family and, of course, my family for their full support.

“I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support over the last four years. While we stood against each other in this campaign, we aligned in many ways, and I have the utmost respect for him. Gus is passionate about the sport and his contribution has been significant.”

Beaumont has called on the organisation to get to work, deliver the sport’s response to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and implement progressive change. “Over the last four years we have achieved a lot, but we are at half-time and need to press on in the second half. I now have a clear mandate to work with Bernard to implement progressive, sustainable change.

“As an organisation, we must lead, be transparent, accountable and continue to serve for all. We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better, simpler, safer and more accessible. We must listen to players, fans, competitions, our unions and regions, and take decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values to the fore.

“Now is not the time for celebration. We have work to do. We are tackling COVID-19 and must implement an appropriate return-to-rugby strategy that prioritises player welfare, while optimising any opportunity to return to international rugby this year in full collaboration with club competitions for the good of players, fans and the overall financial health of the sport.

“I am determined to ensure that the spirit of unity and solidarity that has characterised our work in response to an unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, is the cornerstone of a new approach that will deliver a stronger, more sustainable game when we emerge with new enthusiasm, a renewed purpose and an exciting future.”

Laporte added: “Congratulations to my friend Sir Bill Beaumont on his re-election. I would also like to express my best wishes to Agustín Pichot, a legend of Argentinian rugby and a great rugby leader. I also want to thank all unions who have expressed their opinion in this important ballot, giving a clear mandate for the governance which Bill and I will undertake on their behalf.

“During this unprecedented and global COVID-19 crisis, we must act and unite unions from the north and south and the professional leagues around a common objective to define a strong and sustainable future for all. We will pursue these reforms together and act in solidarity with the rugby family, to drive the game forward on and off the field, further the welfare of our players and make the sport more attractive and accessible.”

The new Executive Committee will comprise: Sir Bill Beaumont (Chairman), Bernard Laporte (Vice-Chairman), Brett Gosper (Chief Executive), Angela Ruggiero (Independent), Lord Mervyn Davies (Independent); Mark Alexander (South African Rugby Union), Khaled Babbou (Rugby Africa), Bart Campbell (New Zealand Rugby), Gareth Davies (Welsh Rugby Union), John Jeffrey (Scottish Rugby), Bob Latham (USA Rugby) and Brett Robinson (Rugby Australia).

SailGP Season 2 Rescheduled For 2021

With a continued emphasis on protecting the health and safety of its national teams, global staff, partners and event communities, SailGP has determined that its racing must remain suspended for the remainder of 2020. Consequently, SailGP Season 2 events will be rescheduled for 2021.

Two of the four impacted events have new dates for 2021 – San Francisco on April 17-18 and New York on June 4-5. SailGP also intends to return to the U.K. and Denmark during the rescheduled Season 2, replacing racing previously planned for August 14-15 and September 11-12 of this year.

Season 2 is set to be expanded from five to a minimum of seven events during the year-long period beginning in April 2021, spanning to the early months of 2022. Results from 2020 Sydney SailGP – the first and only completed event of the year – will be null and void.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “This terrible pandemic has led to the tragic and ongoing loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, and first and foremost, our thoughts go out to those victims, and their grieving families and friends.

“The global nature of our league is one of our strongest characteristics, as we bring together top talent from all over the world to both organize and compete in a new form of professional racing. As we face this health emergency, our geographic diversity unfortunately becomes a potential liability both to ourselves and those around us.

“Our focus must necessarily shift to returning at a time when our events do not present undue internal or external risk.

“We’ll use the coming months to focus on important initiatives to make both our racing and broadcast even more attractive – including through further development of our F50 catamarans, simulator and gaming platform, as well as enhanced data integration via artificial intelligence – while continuing to work toward our ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2025. I’m confident that our rescheduled second season will go beyond what we would have been able to deliver this year, and we’re extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of partners including Rolex, Oracle, ROCKWOOL and our many broadcasters to help us get there.”

Two months ago in Sydney, teams representing Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, Spain and the United States took to the water in the world’s fastest sail race boats for what was anticipated to be the first of five events in 2020. There, four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Ben Ainslie led the British entry to victory in his SailGP debut, overcoming the local favorite and defending season champion Tom Slingsby and his Aussie crew.

Ainslie said: “This has of course been a huge challenge for the entire world, and in particular for healthcare workers on the frontline of this crisis. At the end of the day, this is sport, and we’ll get back out there when it’s safe for everyone involved. Of course, it’s tough not to be out on the water, especially after I got my first taste of SailGP in Sydney a couple months ago. Racing these boats is a privilege, and I know we’ll have that moment again. In the meantime, I’ll be looking to find ways to be even better when we are up and racing again next year.”

Slingsby said: “Of course we’re incredibly disappointed to have to press pause on our bid to be back-to- back SailGP champions. We wish we could be out there straight away and get some payback, but there are greater concerns across the world at the moment. We’ll be ready when the time is right, and SailGP will be bigger and better than ever.”

In a bid to protect the organization throughout this unpredictable period, Coutts has temporarily forfeited his salary in its entirety, while remaining employees have voluntarily taken salary reductions effective through the end of the year. The overall workforce has been tapered proportional to the current modified requirements, while the contracted athletes are being compensated for more than 50 percent of the planned season activity.

The rescheduled Season 2 events will continue to be showcased around the world via partnerships with top-tier broadcasters in more than 100 territories, including in each team market: SKY Sports (U.K./Ireland), CBS Sports (U.S.), Fox Sports (Australia), Canal+ Sport (France), TVE and TV3 (Spain), TV 2 Sport (Denmark), and DAZN (Japan).

Audience figures from the 2020 Sydney SailGP (February 28-29), represented a 27 percent growth from the 2019 event that served as the global league’s world premier. Among that growth was a 16 percent expansion of the total broadcast audience, along with an 83 percent increase in social media video views and 234 percent jump in social media impressions.

In Q1 of this year, more than 13 million minutes of content were consumed across the league’s Facebook and YouTube channels, while SailGP’s new marketing campaign film It’s Not What You Think reached nearly 6.5 million people in the month prior to the season opener.

During the league’s inaugural season in 2019, fans embraced the SailGP concept, as the championship’s five events garnered a television audience of 256 million. In addition, more than 133,000 spectators watched the live events, 138,000 downloaded the award-winning mobile app and more than 100,000 eF50s raced in the debut of the league’s first-generation gaming platform.

In the months leading up to the 2020 start of Season 2, the league added national teams from Denmark and Spain, signed team title partners INEOS and ROCKWOOL, announced a new event in Copenhagen and brought on Endeavor as a minority shareholder.

Coutts said: “We’ve created a lot of growth and momentum from our first six events, and are 100 percent committed to becoming a leading rights holder and advancing the sport in a way that has never been done before. We’ll prioritize innovative improvements during this interim period, and then refocus on live events in early 2021.”

Expo 2020 In Dubai Postponed For One Year

Expo 2020 Dubai is gearing up to help shape a post-pandemic world and create a better future for all after a two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted in favour of postponing the next World Expo by one year.

The global mega event will now run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, a delay that allows all participants to safely navigate the impact of COVID-19, and allows the World Expo to focus on a collective desire for new thinking to identify solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay Expo 2020 Dubai by one year. We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed.

“Over the last 50 years, we have sought to build bridges, connections, and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world.

“This affirmation by the international community of Dubai’s offering and its ability to deliver, further strengthens our commitment to matching ambition with achievement to hosting an event that will capture the world’s imagination, when the time is right.”

With a BIE General Assembly impossible to stage due to COVID-19 restrictions, Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on April 21. While the vote remains open until 29 May, the two-thirds threshold was surpassed within a week of voting opening on 24 April.

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: “I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity, and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’.

“In their support for the one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021, when together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us. With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions and ideas for a better tomorrow.”

Expo 2020 Dubai retains its name and remains committed to hosting an exceptional event that will celebrate humanity’s resilience, creativity, culture and innovation – including major technological advances in the fields of medicine and science.

The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and largest ever event to take place in the Arab world, Expo 2020 will welcome 192 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.

NFL Removes London Games From Schedule For 2020 Season

The National Football League announced today that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States in order for the entire season to be played in NFL teams’ stadia under consistent protocols focused on the well-being of players, personnel and fans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made this decision after consultation with our clubs, national and local governments, the NFL Players Association, medical authorities and international stadium partners.

“After considerable analysis, we believe the decision to play all our games domestically this season is the right one for our players, our clubs, and all our fans in the US, Mexico and UK,” said NFL Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Christopher Halpin. “We greatly appreciate the support of our governmental and stadium partners in Mexico and the United Kingdom, who all agree with this decision, and we look forward to returning for games in both countries in the 2021 season.

“We also thank our incredible fans in those territories for their passionate support of the NFL. We will continue to serve them through our outstanding media partners and by being active supporters of both grassroots football and COVID-19 relief efforts in Mexico and the UK.”

The NFL had been planning to play one game in Mexico City at Azteca Stadium and four games in London – two at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and two at Wembley Stadium – during the 2020 season.  The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins had all previously announced that they would be home teams for International Series Games in 2020.  These teams will now play all of their home games this season at their home stadia in the United States. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “While the NFL’s many fans in London, the UK and Europe will obviously be disappointed by this news, it is absolutely the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the sport. I know that the NFL remains fully committed to London and I look forward to welcoming NFL teams back to the capital in 2021.” 

Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director of NFL UK, said: “The NFL’s London Games have become a major part of the NFL season and the UK sports calendar. But the uncertainty in the current sporting landscape and the tremendous amount of long-term travel and planning required to stage successful London Games mean this is the sensible decision to make.

“Ahead of our games returning next season, we will continue to strengthen our ties to the UK community this season through programmes such as NFL Flag and the NFL Academy.”

Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy said: “We fully appreciate the difficult decision that the NFL has had to make, given the unprecedented circumstances everyone around the world is facing. We were overwhelmed with the response we received from everyone at the inaugural NFL matches in Tottenham last year at our new stadium – the sport’s only purpose-built stadium outside of the United States – and we were proud to deliver world-class facilities for the NFL family.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone from the NFL back to Tottenham in 2021 as we further develop our unique partnership and create even more memorable game days. Until then, we wish the NFL a successful season ahead and send our sincere thoughts and well-wishes to everyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mark Burrows, The FA’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Wembley Stadium has had the privilege of hosting NFL games for the past 13 consecutive seasons, and they are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the stadium’s calendar. We were of course looking forward to welcoming teams back to Wembley this autumn – in particular, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were due to be the first NFL team to play back-to-back international games here in London.

“However, we understand the challenges that sports across the world are facing as a result of this crisis and, as a valued partner, we fully support the NFL in their decision to schedule all games in the US this year. We wish them every success for the new season and stand ready to welcome the NFL back to our iconic venue in the near future.”