NFL seeks big debut as Steelers-Saints comes amid security concerns
The NFL hopes to bring a “mini-Super Bowl” vibe to Paris this week for its first regular-season game in France, even as authorities consider imposing curfews following civil unrest.
The security situation has partially overshadowed the buildup to Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at Stade de France.
But the league says preparations are on schedule with an “NFL House” to open later in the week and other fan activities. The Saints arrived in Paris on Monday morning and have their own fan events planned, too.
The NFL has teamed up with Paris Saint-Germain and French stars like Kylian Mbappé and rugby player Antoine Dupont to help promote the game.
Brett Gosper, the NFL’s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific, told the Associated Press that the French market has been one of “high interest” for some time.
“It would make sense to play regularly here each year, but we haven’t made that call yet,” Gosper said in a recent interview. “We like to see how things go the first time, but we’re pretty confident it will be a successful execution of that game.”
To land lucrative media-rights deals in any market, the league knows it needs to attract new fans and push higher into that country’s TV viewership preferences.
“(The) Super Bowl is your first meeting, normally, with new entrants, so if we can make this week as much like a Super Bowl as possible, a mini-Super Bowl, then we’ll hopefully recruit some new fans this week and that’s the whole goal,” Gosper said.
NFL: ‘No disruption’
The league said Sunday that “preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France.”
“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters,” the NFL’s statement read. “We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
The Saints left for Paris from New York shortly after beating the Giants 34-27 on Sunday.
“Our guys are really looking forward to this. It’s going to be an awesome setup, awesome opportunity,” coach Kellen Moore said at his postgame news conference.
Heightened security
The NFL said security will be heightened for the game after civil unrest protests engulfed the French capital last weekend.
Executive VP of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly said the league’s security team has been on the ground and that officials are working closely with Parisian and national authorities.
“We’re confident in our security plans,” O’Reilly said. “We’re being very vigilant in everything we do with all of our planning.”
O’Reilly said there was never a point that the game was in danger of not being played at Stade de France.
Rioters clashed with police, set cars on fire, stormed public buildings and engulfed a historic city hall in flames in France’s worst civil unrest in years as violence and looting swept through major cities.
About 2,400 people were arrested over the weekend, and authorities said thousands of businesses were damaged or looted. The rioting overshadowed demonstrations against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools in which hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully.
Rugby style
A gateway into the French sports scene is through rugby, Gosper said, speaking before last weekend.
“This is a very strong sports market. Yes, it’s dominated by soccer, but rugby has a big part in it,” said Gosper, the former CEO of World Rugby.
“The familiarity with a physical sport like rugby, we think helps, as it has in the UK and Australia. People are used to watching collisions and contact and enjoy that and like to see a different version of that. So, we think that’s helpful in France.”
France rugby star Antoine Dupont will be at Sunday’s game. He once spent a day at the training facility of the Los Angeles Chargers and showed coach Jim Harbaugh how to pass a rugby ball.
Americans are coming
Just what France needs: more Americans.
“There’s a particularly high U.S. inbound on this,” Gosper said, estimating around 20percent, which is higher than a typical London game.
The stadium capacity is about 82,000. He said 70 percent of the tickets were bought locally, and 10 percent are from elsewhere in Europe.
“We don’t announce sellouts, but the stadium is full,” Gosper said.
Climbing the ladder
State-owned France Televisions is covering Sunday’s game.
“They’re seeing this as a major national event in France. They’ll have a very big free-to-air audience,” Gosper said.
Sports daily L’Equipe also will have a free-to-air broadcast, and its print edition recently published an NFL supplement for readers.
“You want to rise up that viewing preference ladder on French broadcasts over time. We know if we get into that top five it starts paying back,” Gosper said.
“You do that by increasing the number of fans, engaging really well with them, being part of the local landscape, and that happens over time.”