BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The NFL announced Thursday that the Buffalo Bills will be playing across the pond next season. According to the Bills, it will go down as a home game for the team.
The Titans, Jaguars, Patriots and Chiefs will also play in Europe in 2023, as part of the league’s International Series. The NFL continues to try to grow football internationally and reports that the league saw record-breaking attendance and viewership in this season’s series.
Many fans say they have to see the Bills in London and are already making plans. Although, some Bills season-ticketholders, not willing to make the trip, are understandably disappointed and have expressed their feelings on social media.
Still, Bills Mafia will be heading back to London. They’ll play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which the Bills say was one of the top stadium designs that brought about the current design of the future Bills stadium.
We heard from fans here who plan on making the trip.
“I have a couple friends that live in London and the surrounding areas in the U.K. actually that are also Bills fans, so we’ll probably get a group of people together with all my friends out there and some friends from here,” said Andrea Simon of Buffalo.
We also heard from fans and Western New York natives who are five hours ahead of us in London.
“It’s just really exciting to think that we’ll have an excuse for family to come visit and we’ll have a bunch of Western New Yorkers right here in London,” said Becca Fields-Poniskaitis, who used to live in Rochester and now lives in London.
And, it should go as no surprise that there are Bills Backers bars in England.
“Last week for the playoff game, we had over 100 kind of fill in to watch and see the Bills squish the fish once and for all,” said Brigid Evans, a South Buffalo native who now lives in London.
The last time the Bills were in London was in 2015, when EJ Manuel was quarterback.
How are some of the players reacting?
“I’ve never been, I’m excited, I’m very excited but just focusing here and we’ll get to London when we get to London,” said Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins.
“Super excited for that I’ve been waiting for that one, I’ve never been to Europe, so hopefully we’ll spend a couple extra days over there maybe see Christian Wade when we’re out there,” said Bills tight end Dawson Knox.
Christian Wade is a former Buffalo Bill and a current rugby player in Europe.
And what about local bars and restaurants?
They’ll be missing out on a true home game, which brings in thousands of dollars in revenue.
“Missing a game kind of affects business a little bit, but we’ll have some sort of special going on that kind of makes up for it,” said Nick Pietrzak, assistant manager at Prohibition 2020, a restaurant and bar located near Highmark Stadium, “Maybe a Prince Harry drink and Meghan something of that sort.”
We still don’t know who the Bills will play in London, or at what point in the season they will play in England. We’ll learn that when the Bills schedule comes out later this year. Fans can register to purchase tickets right now.
Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.