The NFL has long wanted to expand its fan base in the United Kingdom, from the American Bowl preseason games that started in 1986 to the more recent slate of regular-season games at Wembley Stadium.
As part of that effort, the NFL has reached a new TV deal with ESPN that will include airing Monday Night Football on ESPN’s UK channel.
“Monday Night Football is an enormous global sports franchise with an incredibly strong heritage,” said Jeroen Oerlemans, vice president for ESPN’s TV channels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “With the NFL’s continued growth in the UK, this is another example of how we are building quality global programming around our core UK sports schedule.”
Sports Business Journal reports the NFL is also close to an agreement that would give ESPN more broadband, mobile and international rights.