Sky "signed a new, five-year deal for live American football in the latest salvo in the TV rights war with arch-rival BT," according to Gideon Spanier of the London INDEPENDENT. Britain’s biggest pay-TV firm will air more than 80 live NFL matches per season, "including the important Monday night games for the first time and the Super Bowl." The British broadcaster "will also show all matches" from the NFL’s int'l series when teams visit the U.K. for games such as this Sunday’s clash between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins at Wembley. Sky maintains that American football is not just a niche sport in the U.K. as 2.8 million Britons "are said to describe themselves as NFL fans and more than 660,000 have attended Wembley games since 2007" (INDEPENDENT, 9/25). Viewers can watch NFL shows throughout the season, including NFL Total Access, keeping fans informed as the stories develop in between the live games. Sky Sports’ live NFL coverage is presented by Kevin Cadle, joined in the studio by Neil Reynolds as well as other guests throughout the season. This season will see triple header days with three live games shown on Oct. 26 to coincide with the second Wembley match, and Thanksgiving in November (Sky).
