American football’s National Football League has signed broadcast deals in Europe, a new deal with UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and a renewal with German sports broadcaster Sport1.
The league’s deal with the BBC covers the 2012-13 season, which started yesterday, and the agreement with Sport1 will run for three years, covering the 2012-13 to 2014-15 seasons.
The BBC will show the NFL’s Monday Night Football package, with games being shown live via its digital Red Button service and online through the BBC Sport website. The broadcaster’s coverage will include live coverage of the Super Bowl on February 3 and the regular-season game between the New England Patriots and the St Louis Rams, which will be played in London on October 28. The BBC will also provide highlights of the NFL play-offs.
“We look forward to bringing Monday Night Football to our audience, who this summer have shown a great appetite for sport content via our online and Red Button streams,” BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said.
In its renewal deal, Sport1 will exploit the rights via its pay-television channel, Sport1 Plus. The channel will broadcast up to four games live per week and up to 80 games live per season, including the Super Bowl, all with German commentary.