Sky Sports has agreed a new five-year deal to broadcast live NFL and will launch a new channel dedicated to the sport in September.
The agreement marks the 25th anniversary of NFL coverage on Sky Sports and marks the first time the American football league has joined with an international broadcaster to launch a dedicated NFL channel.
Sky Sports NFL launches from September 3 ahead of the 2020 season which kicks off on 10 September, and will take the place of Sky Sports Action throughout the six-month NFL campaign.
The brand new in-season channel will be the home of round-the-clock NFL on television in the UK, from the regular season through to the playoffs, with Super Bowl LV live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on 7 February.
Viewers of the new channel can look forward to a minimum of five live games each week, including the first-pick of exclusive live games in the 6pm and 9pm slot every Sunday, plus every Thursday Night, Sunday Night and Monday Night Football game throughout the regular season, plus every minute of every playoff game, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl live.
In addition, Sky Sports NFL will feature NFL RedZone, flagship programming from the NFL Network, including the popular Good Morning Football and Total Access shows, award-winning documentaries and other content from NFL Films and NBC Sports, plus brand new weekly shows to review the action and discuss the stories of the league, including original Sky Sports programming.
Sky Sports also promises increased NFL coverage across Sky Sports News, as well as its digital and social platforms.
Commenting on the new deal with Sky Sports, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, said:
“Sky Sports has been a fantastic broadcast partner for a quarter of a century. This new five-year agreement and the launch of a dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel will undoubtedly continue our rapid growth in the UK and Ireland. We are excited that our expanded partnership with Sky will provide even more NFL content to our millions of UK and Irish fans.”
Sky Sports NFL joins the pay-TV broadcaster’s portfolio of dedicated sports channels for the Premier League, Football, Cricket, Formula 1 and Golf. It will be available to watch on channel 407 on the Sky platform.
Stephen van Rooyen, chief executive officer of Sky UK & Europe added:
“We are proud of our quarter-century partnership with the NFL and are hugely excited about launching a dedicated channel which will be a first for the NFL with an international broadcaster. Sky Sports NFL will allow us to take our customers even closer to the sport.
“Sky Sports has shown live NFL since 1995 and played a big role in growing the sport in the UK & Ireland over the last 25 years. Now, as part of Comcast, we are excited about taking our partnership to a whole new level. Our viewers are passionate sports fans and we look forward to capturing the drama of NFL for another five years.”
The launch of the Sky Sports NFL channel marks another significant step in the development of the sport in the UK.
Building on the 28 regular-season games the NFL has staged in London since 2007, the league has developed a nationwide Flag Football programme, launched its NFL Academy in London, regularly produces large-scale fans events across the UK, and partnered with local charities to deliver programmes that use the sport of American football to reach disadvantaged sectors of the community.
Sky Sports NFL will bring viewers the story of the entire season, which begins as reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs take on the Houston Texans on 10 September.
For more information about the NFL and Sky Sports’ coverage, visit the broadcaster’s NFL website – skysports.com/nfl – or on Twitter via @SkySportsNFL.
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