Raiders Mexico City game generated $45 million

According to an Associated Press article, the Raiders vs. Texans Monday Night Football game generated around $45 million dollars of revenue for the NFL and the Mexican economy according to a study commissioned by the NFL. Considering your average regular season NFL game generates in the ballpark of $10 million, that's the sort of number that makes eyes pop and dashes any belief that the NFL will not continue to hold games in Mexico for the foreseeable future.

Much of that figure was spent by tourists, as the game had well over 75,000 fans in attendance, most of whom came from the United States or other parts of Mexico. The average fan spent over five days in Mexico, presumably purchasing delicious Mexican food and hopefully not drinking the water. The accompanying NFL Fanfest was also a wild success, with an estimated 205,000 people attending the event.

These numbers are exactly what the NFL wanted to see when they scheduled the Mexico City game in the first place, and are an excellent indication that Mexico is a viable spot for not only future games of some importance but also possibly an expansion franchise in the future. Also pleased are the manufacturers of laser pointers, who will no doubt find a new market as Steelers fans find new and exciting ways to be repugnant.

The Raiders, of course, face the Patriots in Mexico City later this year, and I'm certain the NFL will not be able to resist scheduling a meeting between Mexico's two favorite teams, the Raiders and Steelers, in the near future.