NFL returns to the BBC with Wembley matches and the Super Bowl
With a licence fee freeze weighing heavy on its back, the BBC has had to pick and choose what it spends public money on. It's meant that the Beeb has had to pass up exclusive TV rights to major sporting events like the Olympics, but that doesn't mean it isn't adding more coverage to its already strong lineup. The broadcaster announced today that it's struck a new deal with the NFL that will let it show all three International Series games from Wembley later this year, as well its banner event: the Super Bowl.
Sky had already secured rights to the UK internationals, but will allow the BBC to exclusively show the first game between New York Jets and Miami Dolphins on October 4th. The BBC will follow that with coverage of Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bills on October 25th (both will be broadcast live on BBC Two). When the Detroit Lions meet the Kansas City Chiefs, however, football fans will need to either access it via the Red Button or the BBC Sport website.
The Super Bowl was first shown live on BBC television in 2008, but the broadcaster has faced competition from Sky and Channel 4 in recent years. While it won't show live matches during the regular season, the deal does include a weekly highlights show called The Road To The Super Bowl, which will air from the final Wembley game in November until the season ends in February.
[Image credit: Steve Parkinson, Flickr]
