NFL Big Game Night

Last updated
NFL Big Game Night
NFL Big Game Night Title Card.png
Presented by Dermot O'Leary
Starring Sam Quek
Osi Umenyiora
Alex Gray
Milo McCabe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time210 Minutes or until game ends
Production companies Hungry Bear Media
CBS Sports
Original release
Network Channel 5; 5Action (branded as 5 NFL)
Release7 September 2025 (2025-09-07) 
present

NFL Big Game Night is a combination game show and American football sports television presentation broadcast by Channel 5 and 5Action from CBS Sports in the United Kingdom since 2025. The show is hosted by Dermot O'Leary.

Contents

History

The NFL has owned a stake in Skydance Media since 2022, and with the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global, Channel 5's owners, came an opportunity to show free-to-air weekly regular season game coverage for the first time the country's history.

Channel 5 gained the rights on a multi-year deal to two weekly Sunday games (a 6pm GMT/1pm ET and 9.25 GMT/4:25 ET game, which can be in-house or Fox games), the NFL International series games in London and Dublin, the Thanksgiving Day games (in-house, Fox, and NBC games) and the Super Bowl (all networks). [1]

Format

Due to United Kingdom broadcasting regulations over the amount of advertising per hour, a standard simulcast of an American football broadcast from the United States from CBS or Fox is not permitted without additional content during American commercial breaks.

British broadcasters have historically featured analysis during these breaks but NFL Big Game Night, in an attempt to appeal to a family audience, includes a game-show-style segment during the early game broadcast.

Two teams of four supporters—each representing one of the sides featured in the broadcast game—take part in a series of challenges, such as riding a bucking bronco while catching footballs. The winning team earns a trip to an NFL city in the United States.

During the game show portions, the team captains are English former hockey player and Olympic gold medallist Sam Quek and two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end with the New York Giants, Osi Umenyiora. [2] [3]

The later game airs as a more traditional telecast on 5Action, branded as 5NFL for the period, and is hosted as a pair by Quek and Umenyiora, who handle the analysis of the game during breaks.

Criticism

The format was widely panned during the first week of coverage by traditional UK NFL fans, comparing the production and hosting to the inept broadcaster comedic character Alan Partridge played by Steve Coogan with the ratings peaking at 220,000 but an average of 166,000. [4]

See also

References

  1. "5 partner with the NFL on groundbreaking free to air UK broadcast agreement".
  2. "Umenyiora two-time Super Bowl champion". 23 October 2018.
  3. "Umenyiora's NFL profile". NFL.com .
  4. "Fans Take Aim At Channel 5's New NFL Coverage: "Partridge Levels Of Cringe"; Ratings Revealed".