Buffalo aim for game in Toronto

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Buffalo Bills aim to play one of their NFL matches next season in Toronto, Canada, the club said on Thursday.

"Beginning in 2008, the team plans to increase its focus on the northern sector of its market. The team hopes to capitalize on the increasing interest of fans in the Canadian market by playing a regular season game in Toronto," the Bills said in a statement.

The NFL is the only major league in U.S. sport not to operate in Canada, due to the existence of the long-standing Canadian Football League.

Buffalo is about a 90-minute drive from Toronto and the team already attract thousands of Canadian fans over the border for games - one recent report found 15,000 season-ticket holders were Canadians.

"The support of the Canadian fan base has led to the Bills recent sellout streak which has enabled the Bills games to be televised locally in the Western New York market.

"This extension of the regionalization effort is designed to enhance the viability and competitiveness of the franchise in Western New York," the statement added.

The NFL is increasingly looking outside the U.S. for new markets with the first regular season game outside North America scheduled for October 28 when the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins meet at Wembley Stadium, London.

This week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that London and Toronto could be future venues for the championship-deciding Super Bowl.