More recently, cowboy culture (buoyed by stars like Beyoncé following her first country album release early this year) has begun to seep into our fashion choices and prompt trends like ‘Cowgirlcore’ to flourish. Western-inspired wardrobes like cowboy boots, fringed jackets and studded Stetson hats are no longer reserved for costume parties (or Glastonbury). And, of course, there’s the Taylor Swift effect. The world’s biggest pop star cut her teeth as a country singer, and her huge popularity boosted country music’s popularity here (Official Charts UK data showing the genre has already experienced a 67 per cent surge in popularity so far in 2024) along with rising stars such as Morgan Wallen, Shaboozey and Post Malone.

Swift’s attendance in support of tight end boyfriend Travis Kelce at this year’s Super Bowl LVIII was considered a factor in the record-busting 3.4 million UK viewers who tuned in to watch the game, with his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22. Still, audience figures have been steadily climbing over the years, says Will Gavin, TalkSport presenter and editor, who covers the NFL.

“We’ve covered the last six Super Bowls in person other than the Covid year, which we did remotely, and had full live rights across those six seasons,” he says. “We have steadily seen the audience climb over those six years by an average of just over 20 per cent a season.”

Chris Davis, a life-long Philadelphia Eagles fan who grew up near the US city, has experienced that growth firsthand. “When I travelled to the UK for work in the mid-2000s, I remember having difficulty finding somewhere to watch the game at the pub,” he says. “You had to really look for it.”

“But when I lived in the UK between 2016 and 2019, you were able to watch a number of games each weekend on Sky Sports, and it was just amazing to see the development in that short space of time, both in terms of the broadcasting as well as the UK fan’s level of interest and knowledge of the sport.”

Beyond the big-league shows that fans can enjoy in London, the love of the game is being strengthened through grassroots flag football programmes (the non-contact version of the sport) across the country, which are doing a particularly good job of engaging younger audiences.