Britain likes sport. There are no two ways about it. For decades, the United Kingdom has been a nation that’s been besotted with football, cricket, tennis, and rugby, and more often than not, there have been British-born sportsmen and sportswomen competing at the highest possible athletic level.
Apparently, there are no boundaries to what type of sport we’ll watch either. Just consider the surge in popularity of American football in Britain. A very American sport by all accounts, the National Football League (NFL) has attempted to expand its reach in recent years by launching an International Series – where regular NFL season games are played on foreign territory. To date, the biggest participant in this series has been the United Kingdom – with several NFL fixtures being hosted at famous British stadium Wembley since 2007. Given how the NFL International Series is still as popular now as it was when the New York Giants played the Miami Dolphins in the very first UK-based game almost a decade ago, it’s safe to say that the people of Britain do indeed love a bit of American football.
But of course, the bulk of the NFL is still played in its birth country, and as a Briton, getting to watch it can seem like a tricky task. A lot of people seem convinced that there’s no way to view a standard NFL game without tapping into some dodgy streaming site loaded with evil software ready to eat up your hard drive, but in reality, absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. Watching the NFL when you’re in the United Kingdom isn’t difficult at all, and here we’ll tell you all you need to know about seeing touchdown after touchdown in American football’s top competition from the comfort of your own British home.
NFL Game Coverage & TV Channels
Fans in the UK can watch the NFL on Sky Sports, ITV Channel 5 and NFL Game Pass on DAZN.
Sky Sports
First off, there’s Sky Sports. Whilst this sports television giant has faced some serious opposition from BT Sport in recent years, it has nonetheless clung onto America’s most beloved game, and remains one of the very best places to see the NFL in all its glory if you’re based in the United Kingdom. Anyone watching the NFL on Sky Sports can also explore the competition in greater depth by hitting the red button on their remote controls, which will take them to NFL RedZone. Here, they can immerse themselves in analysis of the sport by the pros and view all the touchdowns over the course of a particular weekend.
ITV Channel 5
For those of you who don’t have access to a Sky package – never fear. The NFL is set to be broadcast on British terrestrial television as well as Sky, meaning even viewers with the simplest TV sets and inexpensive providers can catch some of the action without needing to upgrade. This will be available on ITV Channel 5.
NFL Game Pass on DAZN
Whilst there are plenty of television channels on which to watch the NFL in the United Kingdom, the very best way to experience American football isn’t actually by setting a reminder to turn on your television set. In fact, it’s by going online. With NFL Game Pass by DAZN, you never have to miss another touchdown, field goal or crunching tackle ever again.
The NFL Game Pass offers a wide variety of ways for UK-based fans to experience American football. As well being able to view over 250 regular season games, playoff matches and the Super Bowl itself (available both live and on demand so you can watch at any time in high-definition), NFL Game Pass holders can also view 65 games during pre-season. NFL RedZone is also available, as well as live streams of the popular NFL Network program.
What’s more, the NFL game pass allows users to watch American football on multiple devices – meaning you can link up the live stream to your television, smartphone, laptop or tablet. “Condensed games” are also available (thirty-minute matches without breaks or commercials) as well as a comprehensive search function that enables users to sift through game highlights, teams and players from seasons gone by. If connectivity is an issue, the NFL Game Pass allows you to download games when you do have access to the Internet onto your smartphone and watch them at a later date whenever you like.
Check out the official website for up-to-date costs and subscription rates.
Game Times
If you opt to watch an NFL game live when you’re based in the United Kingdom, you may have to be content with staying up a little later than you ordinarily would. Due to the time difference, many of these matches take place past the average Brit’s bedtime, but if you consider yourself something of a night owl or don’t have work in the morning, there’s no better way to kick back than with some live American football.
NFL game schedules typically follow a similar pattern every single week. The first game of the weekend takes place on the Thursday night – 1:30am in British time. Sunday is when most of the games are played with several 6:00pm GMT kick offs and a handful of later games after 9pm. Another game is usually played at 1:30am on Monday morning, and another one on Tuesday morning at 1:30am.