Channel 4 Becomes New UK Home Of NFL

Channel 4 is set to become the new home of the NFL and Super Bowl on UK terrestrial TV, as part of a two-year agreement with the National Football League that sees the station become the NFL’s exclusive free-to-air TV partner in the UK. 

The broadcasters, who are also the home of horse racing and the Paralympic Games in the UK, will also feature live coverage of the NFL’s annual games at Wembley Stadium – beginning with the two games scheduled in 2013 – and a weekly highlights show. The deal also covers the Super Bowl. 

Channel 4 was the first UK station to feature regular NFL coverage when it began its ‘American Football’ programme after its launch in November 1982. The station’s coverage evolved into a mix of live games, highlights and magazines shows and continued until January 1998. The sport returned to Channel 4 in 2010, with weekly live broadcast of the league’s Sunday Night Football match-up.

Jamie Aitchison, Channel 4 sports editor, said: ‘The NFL has always had a connection with the Channel 4 audience and it’s fantastic that after the return of Sunday Night Football we now can tell the story of the whole season right up to its spectacular conclusion. The Super Bowl is an iconic event and alongside the live Wembley games we can showcase the sport in all its glory. We are proud to be the NFL’s sole terrestrial partner.’

Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL UK, added: ‘We are thrilled to be announcing a new partnership with Channel 4 and very pleased with the commitment to the sport the station is demonstrating through its extensive line-up of NFL programming across a range of time slots. NFL popularity is at an all-time high in the UK as we continue to grow more fans and this new deal will help introduce even more people to our incredibly dynamic sport.’