NFL on TV: how to watch 2021 American football season in UK - Sky Sports, BBC and Channel 5 coverage explained

NFL is back on the big screens for the 2021 season.

For fans of American football here in the UK, this requires some late nights watching the action from afar on TV and online through streaming services.

There will be familiar faces on the field, with NFL great Tom Brady back again to defend the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and off it with the return of fans in stadiums.

The London Games are back, too, with tickets now on sale for the visit of New York Jets vs Atlanta Falcons (10 October) and Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars (17 October).

Here's how you can watch the NFL action unfold on TV and online in the UK - Sky Sports, BBC, Channel 5 and Game Pass coverage explained for the 2021 American football season.

NFL coverage - Sky Sports

If you're a fan of NFL and like to watch games live then Sky Sports is probably the place for you.

The satellite broadcaster has expanded its coverage over recent years and now has a dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel for fans to get round the clock coverage.

As well as a host of preview and analysis shows, Sky will also televise at least five live games every week through the 2021 regular season on its dedicated NFL channel.

Sky customers can sign up for Sky Sports NFL as part of the complete Sky Sports package for an extra £25 a month, or packages start from £41 a month for new packages.

This will give you access to the Sky Sports NFL channel through your TV and the app SkyGo, which can be downloaded on any smart phone or digital device for your convenience.

There is also the option of non-contract coverage through NOW TV. Fans can pick either a daily or monthly sports pass, priced at £9.98 and £33.99 respectively.

NFL coverage - BBC

The BBC's The NFL Show continues in 2021.

There will be a slight change to the setup with Dan Walker taking on the main presenter role alongside regulars Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell.

Episodes usually air on Saturday nights (after Match of the Day) and are also available through the red button and BBC iPlayer streaming service.

In addition to The NFL Show, the BBC's coverage includes a weekly highlights programme - NFL This Week - on Tuesday evenings on BBC 2.

The BBC will also have live coverage of the Super Bowl in February 2022.

NFL coverage - Channel 5

Regular live NFL games returned to terrestrial TV last year for the first time in more than a decade and will continue in the 2021 season.

Channel 5 will have coverage in the early hours of Tuesday mornings (usually from 1am) of a live game from that week of NFL fixtures.

Alongside its weekly live game, the free-to-air channel will also have a Sunday morning show called NFL End Zone, presented by Cori Yarckin.

All are available through the Channel 5 streaming platform My 5.

NFL coverage - Game Pass

The NFL Game Pass is the Netflix for American football fans.

Game Pass is the official online streaming service which allows you to watch games live throughout the season through the website or app.

There are three tiers of membership from free content - five minute highlights of each game - to Essential plan (£39.99 for the season) and Pro plan (£147.99 for the season).

The more money you pay the more access and coverage you'll receive with the options available through the NFL Game Pass website.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our email newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.