LONDON (AP) -- The first 70,000 tickets for the NFL's third regular-season game in London have been sold, with 20,000 bought in the first seven minutes of availability, the NFL said Tuesday.

The New England Patriots will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 25 at Wembley Stadium. The previous two NFL games were also sellouts.

"We have been delighted with the way fans have got behind the game, especially considering the challenging economic climate," NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood said in a statement. "The response is indicative of the must-see nature of our game and the place it has cemented in the UK sports calendar."

In addition to those already sold, more tickets have recently been made available to the public, though the NFL did not say how many. At a late date, fans in New England and Tampa Bay will have a chance to purchase tickets.

The NFL first staged a regular-season game in London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10. Last year, the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 37-32.