Exclusive: London club’s chief is pushing for Tottenham to host the Super Bowl
Crystal Palace co-owner Woody Johnson is one of the key figures looking to grow the NFL’s popularity in the UK.
Johnson purchased shares in Crystal Palace in July after securing a deal worth around £190m for John Textor’s stake at Selhurst Park.
The American billionaire, who operated as the US ambassador to the UK between 2017 and 2021, is one of the heirs of the Johnson family that founded the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company.
Johnson has also owned NFL franchise the New York Jets, who have played in London on multiple occasions, for the past 25 years.
Now, the Crystal Palace chief could play a role in bringing the Super Bowl to Tottenham’s stadium in the next few years.
Woody Johnson’s London plan revealed
There has been plenty of speculation around whether Tottenham could host the Super Bowl.
The first NFL game was played at Tottenham‘s 62,850-capacity stadium just months after it opened in 2019, with the Oakland Raiders securing a 24-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.
The latest matchup in north London saw the Denver Broncos beat the Jets 13-11 on 12 October.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Reach plc’s NFL reporter Charlie Wilson provided an insight into Johnson’s plans to bring the Super Bowl to London.
“It’s been massively successful at Tottenham,” said Wilson.
“I was at the Denver against New York game, and the Jets were the home team. The Jets have really tried to make a mark in London. They’re really marketing themselves as a team who wants to come over every year. Every team is sort of assigned a country where they’re trying to promote, and the Jets are one of those UK teams.
“There were a lot of Jets fans there, but the stadium was dominated by Denver Broncos fans. Not many of them were from the UK. Fans massively show up for the games over in London and, if they didn’t, I would doubt the stadium would be full with British fans.
“Woody Johnson has got a lot of ties in London. He’s got a lot of big friends over here. In fact, he actually fired Robert Saleh after the London game last season.
“There was a lot of talk of ‘Woody Johnson is going to be there with all his investors, he doesn’t want to be embarrassed’, and then they lost to the Minnesota Vikings. Robert Saleh got fired after that game and it did feel like it was a little bit early to fire him.”
The Jets, who have won just one game this season, have now played in London four times following their visit earlier this month.
Johnson could play role in Tottenham hosting the Super Bowl
Wilson insisted Johnson will likely be a major reason behind why the Super Bowl comes to Tottenham if that situation materialises.
“Woody Johnson is a big reason why the Jets are in London every year,” said Wilson.
“He will also be a big reason why they want the Super Bowl in the UK as well. The owners have much more of a say in the direction of the NFL over the likes of Roger Goodell and Henry Hodgson over in the UK.
“The owners really are in charge of that. If they are desperate for a Super Bowl in London, it could happen.
“But I would say Woody Johnson is probably the only one pushing that right now.”
While hosting the Super Bowl would bring many benefits for Tottenham, it could also deliver huge financial rewards for the city of London.
Forbes estimated Super Bowl LVIII generated an economic impact for Las Vegas of $1billion (£740m), with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in February 2024.
However, there are question marks over whether Tottenham really could host the Super Bowl due to its importance in the US.