NFL Live Kicks Off At RTL Deutschland
In September 2022, RTL Deutschland announced an exclusive free-TV partnership with the world’s biggest sports league, the United States National Football League (NFL). The first games to be shown by RTL Deutschland will be three live preseason matches starting on August 12, which will air on Nitro and RTL+.
In September 2022, RTL Deutschland’s announcement of an exclusive free-TV partnership with the US National Football League (NFL), the world’s biggest sports league with the annual highlight of the Super Bowl finals caused a small sensation in the German TV industry. After all, American football is the most popular TV sport in Germany in the 14- to 49-year-old demographic, second only to soccer. Following an intensive prep period, the time has now come: The new NFL season approaches and will celebrate its premiere on Nitro, a special-interest RTL Deutschland channel, with three live preseason matches. The preseason covers the period before the actual start of the NFL season in September. During this period, each NFL team plays “exhibition games.”
The action gets underway on August 12, when the Carolina Panthers, with promising young quarterback Bryce Young, host the New York Jets (kickoff: 10 p.m. CET). On August 13, the Super Bowl champions will play the Kansas City Chiefs in an away game against the New Orleans Saints (kickoff: 7 p.m. CET). The final preseason game on Nitro sees the reigning champions from Kansas City playing the Cleveland Browns on August 26 (7 p.m. CET). All games can also be followed live and on demand on RTL+. From the broadcast center in Cologne, the on-air team welcomes fans with extensive coverage of the hot phase before the start of the season. Presenter Jana Wosnitza, commentators Jan Stecker and Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld, and experts Björn Werner and Patrick Esume will be on hand. Alex “Kucze” von Kuczkowski and Mitja Lafere will deliver online commentary and insights as community hosts.
With the start of the NFL preseason, RTL+ will further expand its streaming content on American football: The multi-part documentary series “The Franchise” lets fans follow the ongoing preparation and subsequent season of the Kansas City Chiefs up close. Does the team around star quarterback Patrick Mahomes have what it takes to win the title in the coming season? The first episode with exclusive insights into the Chiefs’ training camp will be available on RTL+ from the beginning of August, with further episodes planned continuously throughout the season.
“Since the announcement of the partnership with the NFL, we have been eagerly awaiting the moment of the first live broadcast,” said Oliver Schablitzki, Executive Vice President Multichannel for RTL Deutschland. “We are all the more pleased to finally be able to show the first games of the preseason on Nitro, which RTL Deutschland has been working on meticulously over the past few months. We have selected three games - including the appearance of the Super Bowl champions from Kansas City - all of which promise great excitement. We’re ready!”
Kansas Chiefs President Mark Donovan said: “There is so much excitement inside the organization and within Chiefs Kingdom for our expansion into Germany, especially with the upcoming Frankfurt game in November. Our agreement with RTL Germany and its multiple distribution platforms ensures that Chiefs Kingdom will be in homes and on countless streaming devices throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland this preseason. When you add in the documentary ‘The Franchise’ throughout the regular season, all football fans in Germany will get the chance to see a Chiefs season through the eyes of our players, coaches and staff.”
Kristi Coleman, President of the Carolina Panthers, commented: “We are thrilled and honored to be part of the first-ever broadcast of an NFL game on RTL Deutschland with the Panthers. It’s an exciting time for Panthers fans. David and Nicole Tepper hired our new head coach, Frank Reich, and empowered him to assemble a coaching staff that is widely regarded as one of the most experienced, versatile, and talented in the NFL. Meanwhile, our General Manager Scott Fitterer has worked hard to systematically improve our squad over the past two years. This year, he capped off a strong offseason by securing first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for us, selecting Bryce Young. We want to further strengthen our commitment in Germany and welcome all NFL fans to join us on our journey.”
