Nick Piccone
As the NFL continues to try to expand globally, much like the NBA and MLB already have, there have been rumors of an NFL team based in London, England floating around for a long time now. Whether that eventually comes to fruition hasn’t been decided yet. In addition to those rumors, China hosting an NFL game has also been thrown around, and today we found out when that might be. The Sports Business Journal is reporting that the 49ers and Rams will play each other in China in 2018.
The 49ers will play the Rams in a regular-season game in China in ’18, according to sources. It will most likely serve as the Rams’ home opener, although no date has been determined, sources said. In March, reports surfaced that the NFL wants to expand its international presence to China and that the Rams were one team selected to play there. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell later confirmed multiple teams had shown interest in playing in China.
NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy said, “We have not announced the Rams’ opponent in the event we play a game there. We have said we are exploring playing a game there but nothing is definitive.” Any China game would be subject to league approval at an NFL owners meeting in October.
I’m not exactly sure what the benefit is for either team, but, hey, money talks. I’m sure they were both offered a pretty penny to play a game in China. The games in Europe are always bad, and I can almost guarantee that this game will be a stinker. Go NFL.