Last night, the latest Sport Industry Dining took place at Piccolino Exchange Square in central London with special guest, Jason Bell.
Sport Industry Dining is a series of exclusive dinners for Sport Industry Members, meeting four times a year at some of London’s most exclusive venues.
The prestigious series provides senior figures from leading brands, rights holders and agencies across the sport industry with the opportunity to network, socialise and hear from some of the most inspiring names in sport.
To kick off for 2024, former NFL player and current Sky Sports analyst Jason Bell joined for a discussion on his playing career, his work with Sky, and the growth of American football across the UK.
The 45-year-old spent seven seasons in the NFL, where he played for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and New York Giants between 2001 and 2007.
After hanging up his cleats in 2008, Bell first pursued a career in finance, before ultimately embarking on a sports broadcasting career. In 2021, Bell touched down in the UK, where he has since become a mainstay in Sky Sport’s NFL coverage.
Fielding questions from Underground Fan Club founder Charlie Copsey, the former NFL player reflected on the start of his career in Dallas.
I’m so glad I played for the Cowboys, because it showed you what football should and could be.
– Jason Bell
Indeed, playing for the world’s richest sports franchise, most recently valued by Forbes at $9bn, was an eye-opening experience for Bell, who signed as an undrafted free agent from UCLA in 2001.
“I’m so glad I played for the Cowboys, because it showed you what football should and could be,” said Bell. “It’s something special to play for that team.
“They had won all those championships, so even if you didn’t win it, you felt like it.
“That’s why they don’t win them now – they still feel like they do – that’s probably half of their problem,” he smiled, acknowledging the team’s recent struggles to emulate their former successes, amid a 29-year Super Bowl drought.
The former defensive back also commented on the exposure that players receive when suiting up for ‘America’s team.’
“Everyone is watching. Before the team [broadcast rights] deals like how they are now, where you can watch every game, it was very regional. Dallas Cowboys games were national every week, so everybody knew you played there.”
Bell also spoke on his four years in Houston, where he spent the majority of his playing career, before reminiscing on fond memories of playing for the New York Giants, who he joined in 2006 as a free agent.
“It was probably one of the best years of my career playing there,” he said. “Some of those guys are my closest friends to this day. They really had a good culture that I was able to tie into.
It was in New York where Bell would meet British former NFL star Osi Umenyiora, who would later prove instrumental in convincing him to join Sky’s NFL coverage in the UK. The two of them are close friends and co-host their own podcast together.
Each year you have this dilemma – you have these fans that exist and you want to keep their knowledge growing. And you have these news fans, that you have to present this product to, and make them fall in love with.
– Jason Bell
During the conversation, Copsey also asked about the brevity of playing careers in the NFL, where the average career spans just two and a half years.
Bell explained how the nature of the collegiate system and lack of lower leagues in the sport create a competitive environment for players each year in the league.
We don’t have another league – you can’t drop down to another league. So you’ve got all these players coming in, trying to take your job, they’re cheaper. That’s the big part of it.
“By your third year, you have to show a team what you are; what your role is. Every year you battle with somebody for that role, and if you make more money, you’ve gotta be that much better.”
In his current role at Sky Sports, Bell is enjoying life in London, where he has become a prominent figure within the UK NFL community.
Commenting on the league’s rising popularity across the country, he said, “The fans here are amazing. I wouldn’t do this anywhere else.”
Bell even revealed that one “major network” tried to lure him back to the US to continue his work as an NFL pundit, but he was unswayed by any such opportunities across the pond.
Since arriving in the UK, Bell has enjoyed the challenge of engaging the country’s die-hard fans, while also drawing new fans to the sport.
“It started off as this niche sport, and it’s grown. Each year you have this dilemma – you have these fans that exist and you want to keep their knowledge growing. And you have these news fans, that you have to present this product to, and make them fall in love with. The challenge of that is so fascinating, and I love it, each and every year.
“I have to know more about this game than I ever knew as a player, becasue of that. I need to deliver a product to the fans because they deserve it.
“This country knows about their sports. You’ve got a lot to fight with, so you’d better be ready.”
Jason Bell joins Martin Offiah, Rebecca Adlington, Ugo Monye, Molly Thompson-Smith, Alessia Russo, Hannah Cockcroft, Ellie Simmonds, Jermaine Jenas, Will Buxton, Alex Scott and Aimee Fuller on the list of Sport Industry Dining speakers, with more high-profile sportspeople lined up for upcoming Dining events.
Access to Sport Industry Dining can be gained by purchasing a Sport Industry Membership. In addition, the package offers tickets to Sport Industry Socials, tickets and entries to the FEVO Sport Industry Awards, and a number of other generous discounts and benefits.
SPORT INDUSTRY DINING: MARTIN OFFIAH
