NFL 'Actively Assessing' Opportunities to Play Games in Mexico

Because of the growing number of fans in Mexico, the NFL is reportedly studying opportunities of holding the games in the country.

NFL.com reported that after matches were successfully held in the United Kingdom last year, the league may take the games to another location where supporters of the sport abound.

NFL spokesperson Michael Signora has confirmed to AS that the league is considering Mexico, though he refused to reveal when this will happen.

"We are pleased with the growth in fan demand and the increased partner support we have enjoyed in recent years. With this in mind, we are actively assessing the opportunity to play games in Mexico. We have visited several stadiums in recent months, and are analyzing what needs to be done to bring games to Mexico. It is premature to comment specifically as to when this will happen, let alone how many, if any, games might be played," Signora revealed.

In June, the league has already expressed that more international games could be scheduled, and according to Mark Waller, the NFL's executive vice president for international, countries like Germany, Mexico and Brazil are being tapped as possible venues.

Waller also revealed that NFL executives have already visited Mexico stadiums.

"We're at the point today of waiting for a report back from Populous, which will highlight what we think needs to get done in either Azteca or the Olympic stadium... They will definitely need work to be done; our thinking is particularly for an ongoing series of games being played. We can make most stadiums work as a one-off, but if we want to play consistently there is probably work to do be done on either of those stadiums," Waller said, as noted by ESPN.

Another aspect that the league is considering is the sponshorship deals, and it seems Mexico has got it all figured out. 

"We're taking steps in the right direction so that eventually, this platform (of sponsors) which we have reconstructed will enable us to talk directly to the NFL in New York about the possibility of staging games in Mexico," NFL Mexico director Arturo Olivé told AS.

AS added that the cost to host the games in Mexico could be around $15 million. The same report said that Mexican officials have been seeking sponsorship for the organisation costs.

In 2005, a regular-season game was held in the country where the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers. The country, however, lost their sponsorship in 2008. Now, Mexico said they have about 20 sponsorship ready to endorse the planned games.

As NFL.com reported, Mexico is "an obvious destination" of NFL games since the 2005 game hosted by the country was attended by more than 100,000 football fans.