Live NFL games are coming to British free-to-air television (such as Freeview and Freesat), in a way we’ve never seen before.
5 (formerly known as Channel 5) has just announced a multi-year partnership with the NFL and CBS Sports that will bring regular weekly American football coverage to viewers without a subscription – something that’s been missing from UK television for years.
Starting September 7, 5 will broadcast live NFL action every Sunday evening throughout the season, plus the Super Bowl, international games, and playoff coverage.
But here’s the twist – they’re not just showing the games straight, they’re creating a completely new entertainment format that mixes live sport with a British game show.
What’s Actually Included
The core of the deal is those weekly Sunday evening games throughout the NFL season. Every week, viewers will get two live games – the first kicking off at 6pm on Channel 5, followed by a second at 9pm on 5ACTION (temporarily rebranded as 5NFL for game nights).
Beyond the regular season coverage, 5 has secured some of the NFL’s biggest showcase events.
The Super Bowl – American sports’ biggest single event – will be broadcast free-to-air for the first time in years. The channel will also show the NFL’s international games when they come to London and Dublin, Thanksgiving Day specials (traditionally some of the most-watched games of the season), and three playoff games.
It’s worth noting that this doesn’t replace Sky Sports’ existing NFL coverage. Sky will continue showing Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, the Red Zone channel, and other games throughout the week, including some Sunday games in different time slots.
Essentially, UK viewers now have access to more NFL content than ever before, split between free-to-air channels (available on Freeview and Freesat) and subscription-based platforms.
A Game Show Inside a Game
The 6pm games won’t just be straight sports coverage. 5 has commissioned something called NFL: Big Game Night from Hungry Bear Media (the team behind The Wheel and Gladiators), which combines live NFL action with a British game show twist.
Dermot O’Leary will host alongside Sam Quek and former NFL player Osi Umenyiora.
During the natural breaks in the US broadcast – timeouts, commercial breaks, halftime – instead of cutting to adverts, 5 will run a play-along format with two teams of friends and family representing the competing NFL teams.
The twist? These teams can only score points when their chosen NFL team has possession of the ball. So if there’s a fumble or interception, the other family suddenly gets their chance to take the lead. Winners get to play for a holiday to an NFL city in America.
“I’m really excited about hosting Big Game Night – the show combines two of my big loves: entertainment television and American football,” said Dermot O’Leary. “I think it will be a really fun, silly and brilliant way to watch the game.”
The 9pm slot takes a more traditional approach, with Sam Quek and Osi Umenyiora focusing on analysis and discussion, joined by weekly guests.
The Latest Chapter in 5’s Evolution
This NFL deal is the latest move in what’s been a transformative year for the broadcaster. Back in March, Channel 5 and My5 merged under the simplified ‘5’ brand – dropping the decade-long identity crisis that saw it flip between “Five”, “Channel 5” and back again.
That rebrand brought with it new free streaming channels and a massive content expansion. The streaming side had been on a roll throughout 2024, with viewing minutes up 53% – actually outpacing growth at BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4.
Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer at Paramount UK, explained: “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.”
The timing makes sense. NFL popularity has been steadily growing in the UK over the past decade – the London games sell out Wembley and Tottenham’s stadiums every year, and you’re seeing more jerseys and merchandise around.
But until now, if you wanted to watch games regularly, you needed a Sky Sports subscription. Having two games every Sunday on free television removes that barrier completely.
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 NFL brings people together, through both a sport and entertainment lens, and the live game coverage and NFL: Big Game Night format will engage fans and invite newcomers to enjoy the sport.”
Supporting Content Across Paramount’s Channels
The NFL partnership extends beyond just 5’s main channels, tapping into the broader Paramount UK family of brands.
Most notably, Nickelodeon UK – the children’s channel available on Sky, Virgin Media and other platforms – will bring back Slimetime UK for a third season in 2026.
For those unfamiliar, Slimetime is Nickelodeon’s take on NFL coverage specifically designed for kids and families. The show mixes American football highlights with the channel’s trademark green slime, games, and child-friendly presentation style.
Whether the entertainment format will work with British audiences remains to be seen – we can be quite particular about how our sport is presented. But even if the game show elements don’t land, having regular free NFL coverage is undeniably good news for viewers.
Coverage kicks off on Sunday, September 7 from 5.30pm, backed by what 5 promises will be a nationwide marketing campaign.
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