NFL will reportedly never surpass cricket or soccer even if “100,000 people show up at a cricket arena to watch an NFL game at 10.30 in the morning local time on a weekday” (Image 1 via Getty, Image 2 via Pinterest: Stephen A. Smith and NFL logo)
Smith is all praise for the NFL after 100,021 fans showed up at Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Los Angeles Rams vs. 1 sport in the world. I know in America, that’s a given, but in the world, when 100,000 people show up at a cricket arena to watch an NFL game at 10.30 in the morning local time. 100,000 people on a weekday showing up at a place where they’re usually watching cricket, and instead they’re watching an NFL game? As for American football, 100,021 fans attended an NFL regular-season game outside of America in an Australian cricket ground.
“Let’s give props to the NFL,” Smith said. Stephen A. San Francisco 49ers game in Melbourne, Australia. The fans packed the iconic venue for the NFL’s first regular-season game. ESPN’s First Take host Stephen A. Smith is astounded by the league’s globalization. He praised the attendance at the football game on a weekday morning. “Once again, the NFL is showing that it is rapidly becoming the No. Not just the world. What do you say to that? The NFL. I mean, damn! I got to give props where props are due. The NFL wants to globalize its brand. And ladies and gentlemen, they are doing it. The Melbourne crowd shocked everyone. It was the 7th-largest attendance for an NFL regular-season game. This shows how American football can attract a huge audience outside the United States. But this alone does not prove that every cricket fan could become an NFL fan. Mega events attract massive crowds. But they do not necessarily turn global sports fans into permanent followers of a new sport. The first Melbourne NFL game proves that American football can travel – and travel impeccably. But surpassing cricket or soccer globally probably requires filling a popular stadium more than once.