NFL Exec Peter O'Reilly Says London Hosting Super Bowl Not a 'Near-Term Focus'

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently spoke about the possibility of hosting the Super Bowl in London, but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen anytime soon.

League executive Peter O'Reilly said having the Super Bowl in the city "is not a near-term focus of the NFL," per Judy Battista of NFL.com. Instead, the league is focused on hosting Super Bowls in cities with franchises in the United States.

While Goodell mentioned that "it is not impossible" the Super Bowl could be in the British capital, he also echoed many of the same points O'Reilly said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"I think that is not out of the question," the commissioner said. "But at the end of the day, I think right now our formula will stay the same about playing [Super Bowls] in cities that have franchises."

He continued, saying, "I think being able to play it in one of our cities—it's a huge economic boost to those cities. Our fans live in those cities also. I think that is important. Not that we do not have great fans here [in London]; we do. So as the international series develops, maybe that is a possibility as we play more games here."

There have already been three games in London this season, so playing NFL contests overseas is not an issue.

Yet the Super Bowl would be another story entirely.

The time difference alone would create an issue, as London is five hours ahead of Eastern Time in the United States. NFL fans are accustomed to the Super Bowl being played at or near primetime on the final Sunday of the season, but a game in London would surely be much earlier than anticipated.

That could cut into the league's massive television ratings it receives every season for the Super Bowl.

It would also be much more difficult for many fans of the teams that reach the sport's biggest stage to travel to see their teams compete for the Lombardi Trophy if the game was overseas.

A number of future Super Bowls are already on the books, as Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium will host this season's game. New Orleans' Caesars Superdome hosts it next season, while Santa Clara, California's Levi's Stadium will be the location for the Super Bowl that ends the 2025 campaign.

London is not on the list, and it seems like that will remain the case for the foreseeable future.