The Jacksonville Jaguars have played a game in London every year since 2013 with the exception of 2020 when no games were played internationally due to COVID. The team also has a deal in place to play games at Wembley Stadium in 2023 and 2024.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan doesn’t seem interested in ending that partnership any time soon either.
“I think we’ve moved the needle in a good way,” Khan said in an interview posted Wednesday by Jaguars UK. “Typically, in an international game you’ll see all 32 jerseys represented in the fanbase. But last year’s game was phenomenal for many aspects. One was, look at the crowd. There were a lot more Jaguars jerseys. So it tells me we’ve connected, we’ve moved the needle, and we’ve got a really active enthusiastic fanbase here.
“We’re committed to London. It’s been great for us, and it’s been great for our fans, it’s been great for Jacksonville. … We’re going to be at Wembley [Stadium] for the long-term. How many total games? I think we’re going to take it maybe year by year, but certainly long-term. That trend is gonna continue.”
While Khan is pleased with the Jaguars’ growing presence overseas, the annual game away from Jacksonville isn’t popular with all of the team’s fans. Many are frustrated that the team consistently moves one of its precious few home games away from North Florida.
Those complaints evidently haven’t caused Khan to reconsider the arrangement. And it looks like the Jaguars games at Wembley Stadium remain in the team’s plans for the foreseeable future.
