BBC Secures New NFL Rights Deal

09 Sep 2015 | tshego

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The BBC and NFL have agreed a new two-year rights deal to include live coverage of all three International Series game at Wembley as well as the league’s showpiece event, the Super Bowl.

The new deal also includes a weekly highlights show on BBC Two and online, ‘The Road to the Super Bowl’, which will run from the final Wembley game at the start of November until the climax of the season in February.

This season Sky Sports will show more than 100 live games, but after Channel 4 reportedly opted against renewing its coverage deal, the BBC has now moved in.

Sky Sports holds the bulk of broadcast rights for the NFL in the UK, having signed a five year deal for Monday night, Thursday night and international games with the NFL last year, and the broadcaster recently expanded its deal to include Sunday Night Football games for the next two seasons.

The first live match on the BBC will be the Wembley clash between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins on 4^th October. The Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills on 25^th October will be live on BBC Two and Sky Sports, while the Detroit Lions against the Kansas City Chiefs on 1^st November will be available on the Red Button and BBC Sport website, with highlights on BBC Two.

Next year the NFL will celebrate its 50th Super Bowl – last shown on the BBC in 2008 – taking place in San Francisco on 7th February 2016.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport said: “NFL has a growing fan base in the UK and I’m delighted that the BBC can bring it free-to-air for our audience. We look forward to delivering all the best action and drama of american football for the next two years on BBC TV, radio and online at the BBC Sport website.”

Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFLUK, said: “We are very pleased and excited to be back on the BBC. As we look to expand our reach and create new fans, the BBC’s free-to-air and digital platforms offer us a fantastic opportunity for further growth of our sport. The range of programming will offer an entry point for new fans as well as providing great content for existing NFL fans.”