The Greatest Show on Turf just go some new episodes. Channel 5 is bringing the NFL back to UK free-to-air television.
A deal announced today means that it will be broadcast two Sunday night games every week. This is the first time in 20 years these games will be on UK terrestrial TV. Furthermore, Channel 5 is going to air this year’s Super Bowl and the games taking place in London and Dublin. Each week, a 6pm UK time game will be shown on Channel 5, with a 9pm UK time game shown on 5ACTION. The coverage Dermot O’Leary, Sam Quek and Osi Umenyiora are leading the coverage.
Commenting on the deal, Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer at Paramount UK, said:
5 continues to grow its sport offering and this partnership with the NFL represents a real step forward, bringing fans and families live games in primetime, all completely free-to-air.
Channel 5 NFL Coverage Has New Formats and Programming
The earlier broadcast, hosted by O’Leary, is going to have a family-friendly feel. Hungry Bear Media, which has made shows like Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel and Gladiators, are producing. This gives a sense of the vibe we can expect. The broadcast will contain games with different teams competing for prizes during breaks in play. O’Leary said that he is “really excited about hosting Big Game Night – the show combines two of my big loves: entertainment television and American football. I think it will be a really fun, silly and brilliant way to watch the game so I hope people enjoy it.”
However, the 9pm broadcast is more for the diehard fan. Branded 5NFL, this output is based around traditional studio talk and analysis courtesy of Quek and Umenyiora. The double Super Bowl winner noted that “the NFL is growing faster than ever in the UK” and said he is “thrilled to continue playing a part in that expansion by bringing it to a new home on 5.”
Channel 5 parent company Paramount has created wider programming around the NFL deal, too. Gerrit Meier, Managing Director and Head of NFL International, said:
This new partnership with 5 and Paramount UK marks a significant step in bringing more NFL coverage on a weekly basis to the UK than ever before.
The return of the NFL regular season to UK terrestrial TV is undoubtedly a significant moment. As Umenyiora suggested, there is no doubt that American football is becoming increasingly popular here. Having it easily accessible can only help boost that.
The new NFL regular seasons starts on Friday, 5th September.
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