Dublin is likely to be years away from hosting a professional American football game, hospitality industry and Government sources have indicated, as officials continue to weigh the economic benefits of holding an NFL event in the capital against the cost to the taxpayer.
Speaking in London last weekend, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters there was “no doubt” that Dublin would host a regular season game in the near future. “I don’t know if it’ll be next year but it’s coming soon.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, which has significantly ramped up its marketing efforts here over the past two years, has long-standing ties to the Republic through its Irish-American owners, the Rooney family, and is known to be keen to play a regular season game in Dublin in the near future. In 2022 the NFL awarded the Steelers the marketing rights to the Republic as part of its global markets programme, a carve-up of international markets among its 32 teams aimed at expanding the league’s global reach.
Dan Rooney III, the Steelers’ director of business development and strategy and son of current team president Art Rooney II, is listed as a director of an Irish-registered company, Pittsburgh Steelers Ltd, incorporated last year. Peter McKenna, Croke Park stadium director, is also a director of the company.
GAA headquarters is considered to be the most likely venue to play host to a Steelers tie although it has been suggested the NFL could still opt for the smaller Aviva Stadium to ensure a sell-out crowd for its first Irish outing.
However, Government, tourism and hospitality industry sources said there were still “question marks” over whether the game would deliver the economic benefits that other international events, such as the now-annual College Football Classic, have in recent times.
Hosting a professional game would be a costly exercise, not least because of the fee the NFL would command for the event. This is understood to be in excess of the $5 million (€4.6 million) fee paid to Northwestern University for the right to host a college football game in the Aviva Stadium in 2022.
Cost-benefit analysis was ongoing at the Department of Tourism and the licence fee was not itself considered a sticking point in Government circles, sources said. Those costs could also be eased through sponsorship deals and partnerships with private entities. But the licence charge combined with other outlays, including security and policing costs, may make the game economically unviable.
The structure of the NFL’s season may also work against the move. The NFL’s fixture list is typically announced just four months before the season starts. Details of the 2024 College Football Classic, played in August, were revealed in March 2023, giving fans more time to book flights and prepare to travel.
Two hospitality industry sources also said far fewer fans would likely travel from the US for a professional game than the 25,000 who travelled to the Republic for Georgia Tech’s game against Florida State University this year.
Yet, the growing interest in American football in the Republic and in nearby markets like the UK, which has hosted NFL games since 2007, mean there is confidence among people close to the discussions that a Dublin tie could be a success.
Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne will unveil details of the Coalition’s international sports events framework and policy at an event in the Aviva Stadium on Thursday morning.
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