Newswise — The NFL's move overseas this weekend is a "natural evolution of sport," says Curt Hamakawa, director of the Center for International Sport Business at Western New England College in Springfield, Ma.
"Years ago, the 'Big Three' American professional sports -- football, basketball and baseball -- realized that the future growth of their sports lay outside the United States, and that an expanded market share necessarily depended on a successful cultivation abroad," he says. "Just like many parts of the developing world -- and especially the younger generations -- have been fascinated by Western lifestyle and particularly American pop culture, the quintessential American sports have taken a page from that playbook to try to strike a chord with that global fascination."
"Sunday's matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants in London's Wembley Stadium -- the NFL's second regular season game outside the U.S. in two years, and the first ever outside of North America -- is a powerful example of the seriousness with which the NFL is seeking to globalize its sport. In 2009, the NFL has committed to playing a pre-season game at the new Olympic Stadium in Beijing, dubbed 'China Bowl.'"
"It has not been lost on the NBA, MLB, or NFL that China represents a massive and enticing market for their sports, and in recognition of this fact, all three leagues have opened offices in that country (NFL in Beijing, MLB in Beijing, and NBA in Shanghai)."
"I think the big-league commissioners are cautiously optimistic that carefully managed, they can grow their sports on other continents that may someday rival the fan base and spectator following that has taken a hundred years or more to build in the U.S.," he says. "This really is a natural evolution of sport, or for that matter, anything that has utility and appeal to a consumer nation."
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