JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said the decision to play games in London was a “logical solution” to expand the fan base and alleviate pressure on fans in Jacksonville to support the games.
Khan spoke about the Jaguars on Monday in a 12-minute interview with his latest investment, Black News Channel, a 24/7 news network based out of Tallahassee.
“I think it’s been great,” Khan said of the decision to play international. “Jacksonville I think is a small market. When I was introduced, for me it was, I’m going to do everything to keep NFL football in Jacksonville. So how do we do that? A logical solution to me was really we want to expand the fan base. We don’t want to put extra pressure on our fans in Jacksonville to be able to support all the games.”
Khan went on to say he wants to play a full stadium and yet “make it easier for them (the fans)."
“Playing games outside the country really turned out great for us,” Khan said. “I think our fans have traveled with us, we have a lot of fans outside the U.S. and it’s been a win-win for everybody. Great for the league, too.”
The Jaguars announced earlier this month that it would move a second home game to London in 2020.
WATCH: Black News Channel’s full interview with Shad Khan
Khan also spoke to Black News Channel about his decision to purchase the Jaguars from Wayne and Delores Weaver.
“For me, when I wanted to be in the NFL, it was chasing an American dream,” Khan said. “I think it’s been a fabulous experience. I had no idea how powerful the NFL is, how it impacts people, how powerful an economic engine it is for the communities and how it can change lives.”
He even opened up about creating a legacy with his children. Last year, Khan and his son, Tony, launched All Elite Wrestling.
“My wife and I were blessed. We have two great kids," Khan said. "Our son, Tony, really had this dream. He’s a big wrestling fan. I think it’s kind of evolved over time. It was his mission -- how to bring it back to a whole new generation of fans who maybe had lost touch with it.”
Khan’s interview aired Monday as the Black News Channel debuted in select markets, including Atlanta and Los Angeles. It’s a minority owned and operated news network that aims to provide “an authentic, new voice that represents African Americans in mainstream media and fosters political, economic and social discourse.”
“I was really drawn to it because I think there are audiences, there are Americans who are not represented well by the national media,” Khan said Monday. “Right at the top would be African Americans. To me, it’s how do we present the information and how do we amplify the voices, the sounds, so it really does good.”
Black News Channel is available to Xfinity X-1 and select Spectrum customers in certain markets at this time. Its website said it will air more than 12 hours of original programming each weekday and more than five hours of original programming on weekends.
Khan, who ranks No. 61 on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion, is the owner of a number of businesses, including auto parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate, the Fulham Football Club and the Jaguars.