Touchdowns and till receipts:

The fan economy behind the games

By the end of 2024, spectators had spent an estimated £603m in London since the first NFL London Games in 2007.[1] The most recent economic impact assessment specific to the NFL, covering 2024, valued that year’s three games at £199.6m in total economic impact, including £94.3m in direct impact, and estimated that they supported 3,256 jobs.[1] They were part of six major sporting events that together delivered around £230m in direct economic impact to the capital.[1]

The impact extends far beyond the stadium gates. In 2024, 60,000 international NFL fans spent on average £329 per head, per day during the London Games.^[4] That’s around three times as much as the average spend of an overnight visitor to the UK, according to last year’s ONS data.^[5]

Although there isn’t specific hotel data available from the NFL weekends, broader patterns during high-profile events illustrate the scale of the opportunity. In July 2025, London’s hotel occupancy reached 88.6%, its highest level since July 2018, boosted by Wimbledon and the Oasis concerts at Wembley. The average room rate reached a record £234.58 and revenue per available room hit a record £207.93.[3] The pattern continued in September 2025, when concerts including Oasis, Lewis Capaldi and Lady Gaga lifted occupancy to 86.5% and the average room rate to £209.97.[4]

These surges in footfall create opportunities beyond the hotel room. In 2024, 64% of fans at the NFL London Games said they were more likely to return to London within two years of attending.[1] Local suppliers benefit too: in 2025, 80% of food suppliers used at the NFL London Series and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were based within 55 miles.[5]

How businesses can score a touchdown

For London’s hospitality and retail businesses, the challenge is to turn weekends like this into ongoing momentum. A major sporting event may only last a few days, but the commercial benefits can stick around for months if businesses plan ahead.

There’s huge value in brand association. The NFL Games, with their global audience, allow businesses to connect with international customers and tap into new market segments.

Adam Norman, Audit & Assurance Partner

Businesses can extend the event experience beyond the stadium with pop-ups, themed offers and collaborations with partner brands to keep fans engaged. After the event, content partnerships and social media activations can help businesses expand their reach well beyond local markets.

But the real opportunity lies in building long-term customer relationships.

Many of the visitors drawn in by major events are new to London’s brands, and that first purchase, booking or interaction is just the start. Capturing data at the point of sale, following up with personalised offers and creating loyalty incentives can turn one-time purchases into repeat customers.

Emma Benjamin, Price Bailey Partner with extensive hospitality experience 

The most successful operators use these insights to inform their financial and operational planning. By analysing sales patterns, staffing costs and cash flow data, businesses can identify which strategies deliver genuine returns, and which need refining before the next major event.