Photo courtesy: Chicago Bears
The Bears and the NFL announced recently that the Bears will be a designated team for a regular-season game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London during the 2024 season. Further details regarding date, opponent and kickoff time will be confirmed this spring when the 2024 regular season schedule is released.
The game will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019. It serves as the home stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, an English Premier League soccer team. The stadium has a capacity of 62,062, which is almost identical to Soldier Field (61,500). The 2019 Bears-Raiders game was the first NFL game played at the London stadium.
“Every game the Chicago Bears play is rich in tradition, culture and passion,” said Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey. “And every year, game after game, we look forward to welcoming fans to experience that richness. This year, we will take our storied franchise and tradition back to London and share internationally what our fans locally experience at every game. We are excited to join the many NFL teams who are expanding internationally to play a game in London during our 2024 season.”
The Bears will make their fourth trip to London; they faced the Cowboys in a preseason game there in 1986 and played regular-season contests versus the Buccaneers in 2011 and Raiders in 2019.
“The Chicago Bears are a special team and a storied franchise,” said Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren. “When I became part of the Chicago Bears family in April of 2023, I was focused on building a championship team on the field and in the community while also building a world-class stadium for our incredible fans. I am grateful to the NFL and the Halas-McCaskey family for the opportunity to fortify the excellence, championship mindset and traditions of the Chicago Bears on an international platform while growing the game of American Football in the United Kingdom.”
The Bears’ London game is an addition to their participation in the NFL Global Markets Program (GMP), which has granted the team access to the markets of the United Kingdom and Spain since 2021. Through this league initiative, the Bears are authorized to directly engage with fans and offer sponsorship opportunities in both markets.
“Chicago is a top global destination where businesses, entertainment, tourism and sports thrive,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “As the Mayor of the city of Chicago, I have an immense amount of pride and passion for the soul of our city and enjoy sharing the best of Chicago with residents, visitors and tourists every year. This year, I am excited to share our world class city on a global stage as the Chicago Bears play overseas in 2024 during what will be a very exciting NFL football season. The Bears are a great representative of our city and its people. This experience will bring our two communities together and undoubtedly will spark future opportunities for our cities to collaborate. I am humbled to continue to witness the complete journey of our legendary Bears team and look forward to an incredible game.”
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
