Sky Sport to launch 24-hour NFL channel as RTL expands rights deal
July 2, 2026 20.26 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

Sky Sport will launch a dedicated 24-hour linear NFL channel in the German-speaking market as part of an expanded rights agreement with parent company RTL Deutschland and the NFL.

The new Sky Sport NFL channel will debut at the start of the 2026/27 regular season and forms part of a new rights agreement running through the 2028/29 season. The deal covers Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein and significantly expands RTL Deutschland’s NFL portfolio to more than 200 live games per season.

The channel will serve as a dedicated home for NFL programming around the clock. Its cornerstone will be the US-produced NFL RedZone, hosted by Scott Hanson, which will air live every Sunday from 19:00 CET, marking the first time the league’s flagship programme will be available on a permanent linear channel in the region.

Sky Sport NFL will also carry replays of the league’s weekly night games and additional NFL content throughout the week.

The broader agreement gives RTL Deutschland and Sky Sport live coverage of the complete NFL game week from Thursday through Tuesday, including Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, alongside expanded Sunday afternoon coverage.

RTL will continue to broadcast two Sunday games free-to-air at 19:00 and 22:00 CET, while RTL+ will stream an additional early game. Sky Sport will add two exclusive Sunday fixtures, bringing the weekly live schedule to as many as nine individual games.

The agreement also brings together the league’s two most popular whip-around formats. The German-language NFL conference show will continue on Sky Sport Top Event and selected matchdays on free-to-air channel Nitro, while the original US NFL RedZone feed moves to the new Sky Sport NFL channel.

The rights package also includes all NFL International Games staged in Europe. Alongside games in London, Madrid and Munich, the package features the league’s first regular-season game in Paris.

“Our vision from the beginning was to become the home of the NFL. With our expanded rights, we are making that vision a reality. We will now offer every NFL fan the right product, from marquee individual games to the German conference show and NFL RedZone. This creates the biggest NFL offering ever available in Germany,” said Inga Leschek, Managing Director Content at RTL Deutschland.

Frank Robens, Executive Vice President Sports at RTL Deutschland, added: “The NFL is one of the most successful and important sports properties in our portfolio. We are delighted to expand our partnership with the league. The enhanced rights allow us to offer fans the complete NFL week from a single source, setting new standards in scale, quality and variety.”

Alexander Steinforth, General Manager for the NFL in the DACH region, said: “Our goal is to make American football accessible to as many people as possible. By expanding our partnership, we are offering more live games on free-to-air television than ever before while creating the most comprehensive NFL offering to date across the German-speaking market.”

Laura Louisy, Senior Director of International Media Strategy and Business Development at the NFL, said: “Long-term media partnerships are a key element of our international growth strategy. Together with RTL and Sky we are creating a comprehensive NFL experience across free-to-air television, pay-TV and streaming while investing in new formats to reach existing fans and attract new audiences.”