This is RTL showing the start of the 2024 NFL season.
Football Fever, what more could you want? In its second season as the exclusive free-to-air partner of the league, RTL is going on the offensive and investing in the expansion of its live broadcasts alongside its cross-platform content offering on all platforms.
The new NFL season is on the horizon, and RTL is right in the middle of it, closer than ever before on free-to-air TV and RTL+. As announced by the Cologne-based broadcaster, it will be going on the offensive as the free-to-air partner of the NFL in the 2024 season, investing in the expansion of its live broadcasts alongside its cross-platform content offering on all platforms. The focus will be on bringing even more of that US feeling.
In addition to its TV production from the broadcast center, the channel is strengthening its presence in the US and will be reporting live from American stadiums more often. For the first time, a German on-air team will be regularly seen on the sidelines in the US, capturing the unique atmosphere and excitement. For Week 1, this means that presenter Jana Wosnitza will be joined by NFL expert Markus Kuhn from the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford/New Jersey for the game between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
Kickoff is at 7 pm on 8 September on RTL. Fans can also watch the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the All Inclusive Entertainment App RTL, with coverage starting at 6:40 pm. To round off the first week, RTL will show the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders at 10:25 pm, where the second pick in the 2024 draft, quarterback Jayden Daniels, will make his NFL debut.
On free-to-air TV, NFL expert Patrick Esume and commentator Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld will welcome fans early on Sunday evening, while NFL expert Bjoern Werner and commentator Jan Stecker will do so later in the evening. Community host Mitja Lafere will keep an eye on all the online voices alongside presenter Jana Wosnitza. On RTL+, the team will be completed by NFL expert Adrian Franke, commentator Frederick Schulz, and community host Alex von Kuczkowski. Former NFL pros and experts Kuhn and Sebastian Vollmer, who live in the US, will also be part of the prominent on-air team and will be increasingly deployed from the States.
But the first broadcast of the new season will be on 6 September, when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener. Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes and his team will face last year's MVP Lamar Jackson in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. Coverage starts at 1:50 am on RTL, with kickoff at 2:20 am. As always, Jana Wosnitza will be presenting, with Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld and Patrick Esume commenting, Mitja Lafere as community host, and Markus Kuhn reporting live from the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
But that's not all, as the NFL season on RTL begins even earlier, at 0:25 am on 6 September, with a Nightjournal special "NFL season kickoff" presented by Jan Stecker and expert Sebastian Vollmer. This will be followed at 0:45 am by the free-to-air premiere of the documentary "Jakob Johnson - Never Give Up", which will be available to stream on RTL+ from 5 September. Fans can also look forward to the return of the popular NFL documentary series "Hard Knocks". From 8 September, a new episode of this year's edition, "Hard Knocks - Training Camp with the Chicago Bears", will be available to stream on RTL+ each week, shortly after its US premiere.
The NFL season is set to air on RTL+, allowing fans to watch the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers live. RTL's partnership with the NFL extends beyond free-to-air TV, as they continue to invest in their cross-platform content offering, including live broadcasts and analysis from the NFL.
RTL's NFL coverage will be comprehensive, with NFL expert Patrick Esume and commentator Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld leading the team on free-to-air TV, while notable figures like former NFL pros Markus Kuhn and Sebastian Vollmer will be deployed from the US to provide insights and analysis.
