The Miami Dolphins were chosen as the most popular NFL team in the United Kingdom, according to a recent poll conducted by YouGov.
Now one of the fastest-growing sports in the United Kingdom in recent years, Gridiron Football has taken the British public by storm.
Since the introduction of the NFL International Series in 2007, Wembley Stadium, Twickenham Stadium, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have hosted 28 regular-season games between them. Bringing the American fanfare to Europe.
In those 28 games we’ve seen 31 of the 32 franchises visit London to play to a sold out crowd in Europe’s financial capital. The amount of revenue the games generate alone would be enough to keep coming back, but that’s not it.
Ever since the 1980’s there’s been significant interest in the sport from the Brits, which originally lead to exhibition games being played across the pond before the turn of the Millenium.
The appeal for the sport never went away, became more popular and was shown on TV regularly for years before the UK earned it’s first regular-season game back in 07′.
Since the first game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants, the fans’ interest and knowledge of the game has grown from strength to strength.
That game featured two of the world’s most recognisable sports brands facing off, and in typical British fashion the rain poured down. That proposal from Roger Goodell has turned into a yearly touring circus that sells out every game, every single year.
In 2019 we saw the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans visit London for the first time, leaving the Green Bay Packers as the only franchise not to play a game in the UK.
But of those 31 teams, the Miami Dolphins have creted the biggest fanbase over in the UK.
YouGov, which is a British Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, last week released the results to two polls answered by the British public. The first was on which team the individual supported, if they had one, and the second was based on the most famous team.
Each poll has had it’s results split into six categories, five based on age and gender, and one which is a combined conclusion.
According to You Gov, the Miami Dolphins are the most supported team in the UK as a whole and the third most famous brand. Rounding out the top 5 supported teams are the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots.
Interestingly enough, the two most popular teams in the UK are the first two sides to play a regular-season game in Europe. That game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants really started a foundation that has been built upon year after year.
Ahead of the Fins, in fame terms, are the Cowboys and Giants which are arguably two of the biggest global sports brands in the world. Everywhere you go, you’ll see merchandise from those two historic franchises.
One topic that’s been brought up for the debate is the absence of the Jacksonville Jaguars from both of these lists. That’s because their part London based owner Shad Khan, who also owns Fulham FC, has invested heavily in the UK market and the Jags have played the most games, 7, in the nation’s capital.
The businessman even tried to buy Wembley Stadium from the FA in 2018 and is pouring money into building a big UK fanbase. Judging by these numbers, and in fact the attitude from NFL UK fans in general, that hasn’t quite panned out.
Most Americans seem to believe all the UK fans love the Jaguars, and often suggest they should relocate there, that isn’t the case whatsoever and that will never happen, as proved by these results.
The Jags sit way below the Miami Dolphins in popularity, not even making the top 10. In fact, the only two categories they appear anywhere in the top 10 are 3rd amongst Millenials and 8th amongst Men. Then again the Dolphins have been a franchise for much longer than Jacksonville and have played the most games in the UK, bar the Jaguars of course.
All in all, the Miami Dolphins have invested quite a bit in the UK market, and that seems to have paid off.
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