ITV secures three-year NFL free-to-air rights deal
Highlights from the NFL will be shown in the UK by ITV for the first time since 2015 after the broadcaster landed a new three-year deal.
The NFL returns to ITV in the United Kingdom and Ireland next month for the first time in seven years after the national broadcaster landed a three-year partnership deal. The British network begins their Gridiron coverage on Friday 9 September with the first of 23 weekly, hour-long highlights programmes, presented by Laura Woods with analysis from former players Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora. The show, which has been given the 11.30 pm slot, will preview each weekend of NFL action and will be repeated at 8.30 am on Saturdays on ITV4 and will also be available on-demand through ITV Hub. The 2022 NFL season kicks off with defending champions the Los Angeles Rams playing host to the Buffalo Bills at SoFi stadium on 8 September.
Super Bowl coverage
ITV will be airing two of the three games that will be played in London - The New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 9 October and the Jacksonville Jaguars vs the Denver Broncos at Wembley on 30 October as well as free-to-air coverage of the climax of the competition - Super Bowl LVII, live from Glendale on Sunday 12 February.
ITV Director of Sport Niall Sloane said, “This deal will bring to ITV viewers the very best of the NFL each week in our highlights shows throughout the season as well as key live games. We’re delighted to be able to offer viewers, free to air, across our channels as well as the ITV Hub, the unique spectacle and action the NFL brings”.
UK viewing figures
Interest in the NFL has been steadily growing over the past few years with audience figures for Super Bowl LVI hitting 1.3 million. The BBC’s American Football coverage, with NFL This Week and The NFL Show, drew around a million viewers from 2016 up until the programme was cancelled earlier this year. Umenyiora, who was previously a pundit on the BBC show, said, We have seen the NFL grow to a level I could never have imagined from when I played here for the Giants in 2007. This new partnership can see us bringing the sport to an even broader audience. We have felt so embraced by British fans and we are excited that they will be able to watch us on ITV.”