Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, said he would like to work out a long-term deal for his NFL team to continue playing in London, possibly right through to the 2030 season.
The Jaguars have two years left on a four-year agreement to play one game per season at Wembley Stadium.
They are scheduled to play the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 25, having previously taken on the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and the Dallas Cowboys last year.
“I’m optimistic we’ll have a renewal on that and that it will go for a long time. We would like it to be long term, like 2030,” Khan told reporters on Tuesday in Jacksonville, Florida.
“London and Jacksonville is a match made in heaven for us... It’s a critical part of our franchise to be able to play games there, get the recognition, build the fan base and get the sponsors,” Khan said.
“We want to invest in London and we want to have a longer horizon to be able to do that,” he added.
Khan said playing in London had been probably the “No. 1 element in stabilizing” the franchise.
He also said he wanted the Jaguars to continue playing only at Wembley.
It was announced in July that the NFL is to schedule two games per season for 10 years, starting in 2018, at the new stadium being built for English Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur.
There are to be three NFL games in London this year, all at Wembley, with the Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs designated as the “home” teams.
The Dolphins are to play the New York Jets on Oct. 4, while the Chiefs are to meet the Detroit Lions on Nov. 1.
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