NFL signs last-gasp UK TV deal with Sky
05 September 2012 | Posted in
Broadcast,
Football,
North America,
Europe
|
By David Cushnan
With just a day to go until the start of the new season, the National Football League (NFL) finally agreed a UK television deal with Sky Sports on Tuesday. The new contract runs for three years.
The package of rights picked up by Sky includes 60 games from the NFL per season, coverage of the playoffs and Super Bowl each year, support programming including the popular NFL RedZone score service, and the International Series games played at Wembley Stadium in London.
NFL fans had grown increasingly concerned that the season, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday with the New York Giants playing the Dallas Cowboys, would not be broadcast in the UK.
The Sky package also includes mobile, online and tablet devices.
Sky will broadcast two live games each Sunday evening, plus three Thanksgiving Day clashes and the new Thursday evening games.
Channel 4 will broadcast Sunday evening fixtures, which are played in the early hours in the UK, while a deal is yet to be announced for Monday Night Football. Last season those games were broadcast by ESPN's UK channel.
NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood said of the new Sky deal: “We are delighted to extend the relationship between the NFL and Sky Sports into its twentieth year.
"Through their coverage the game has attracted many new fans in this country, and we look forward to another three seasons of excellent coverage of including the International Series matches at Wembley and the next three Super Bowls.”
In association with
blog comments powered by DisqusIn association with
Related news
Huddersfield show signs of improvement with new partner - 17 May 2013
Canon hits home run with Yankees sponsorship deal - 01 March 2009
Melbourne FC land second shirt sponsor - 22 March 2009
AFL lands airline partnership with Virgin Blue - 18 November 2010
Nike puts faith in youth in German soccer - 05 March 2009
Related blog posts
Bank of America to pull Olympic sponsorship - 04 June 2009, Notes & Insights
Ilya Kovalchuk to re-sign with New Jersey Devils - 06 July 2010, Notes & Insights
50 Most Marketable 2012 - Lewis Hamilton - 17 May 2012, Notes & Insights
Sport is playing its part in the Santander story - 11 December 2009, Notes & Insights
A message from SportsPro - 27 August 2009, Notes & Insights
