This is RTL showing the start of the 2024 NFL season.
In the second season as the exclusive free-to-air partner of the league, RTL is going on the offensive and is investing, in addition to the cross-media content offering on all platforms, further in the expansion of its live broadcasts.
The new NFL season is on the horizon, and RTL is right in the middle of it, even closer than ever before in free-to-air TV and on RTL+. As the Cologne-based broadcaster announced, as the free-to-air partner of the NFL in the 2024 season, it will go on the offensive and, in addition to the cross-media content offering on all platforms, will continue to invest in the expansion of its live broadcasts. The focus will be on even more US atmosphere.
In addition to the TV production from the broadcast center, the broadcaster is strengthening its presence in the USA and is reporting more live from the US stadiums. For the first time, a German on-air team will be regularly seen on the sidelines in the USA, capturing the unique global atmosphere and excitement. For Week 1, this means that presenter Jana Wosnitza, together with NFL expert Markus Kuhn, will report live from the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford/New Jersey for the game between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
It all kicks off on 8 September at 7 pm on RTL. At the same time, fans can see the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the All Inclusive Entertainment App RTL. Here, the broadcast begins at 6:40 pm. To round off the first week, RTL will then 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.
In free-to-air TV, NFL expert Patrick Esume and commentator Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld will welcome fans early on Sunday evening, while NFL expert Bjørn Werner and commentator Jan Stecker will do so later in the evening. Alongside presenter Jana Wosnitza, community host Mitja Lafere will keep an eye on all the voices from the online community. On RTL+, NFL expert Adrian Franke, commentator Frederick Schulz, and community host Alex von Kuczkowski will complete the team. The prominent on-air team, which includes the former NFL pros and experts Kuhn and Sebastian Vollmer, who live in the USA, will also be increasingly deployed from the States.
However, the first broadcast of the new season will already be on 6 September, when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener. The Super Bowl champion led by Patrick Mahomes will face last year's MVP Lamar Jackson in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. The broadcast on RTL will start at 1:50 am, with kickoff at 2:20 am. As always, Jana Wosnitza will host, 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, because the NFL season on RTL will begin on 6 September as early as 12:25 am with a Nightjournal special "NFL season start" with presenter Jan Stecker and expert Sebastian Vollmer. This will be followed at 12:45 am by the free-to-air premiere of the documentary "Jakob Johnson - Never Give Up", which will be available on RTL+ for streaming from 5 September. In addition, fans will have their wait for the new season shortened by the popular NFL documentary series "Hard Knocks". From 8 September, and thus shortly after the US start, a new episode of this year's edition "Hard Knocks - Training Camp with the Chicago Bears" will be available on RTL+ each week for streaming.
In line with its extensive NFL coverage, RTL has announced that its All Inclusive Entertainment App will also stream the games, making the experience accessible in RTL's Right-To-Left (RTL) format for viewers. Furthermore, to provide a more immersive experience, part of the on-air team will be reporting live from US stadiums, utilizing the RTL's Right-To-Left (RTL) broadcasting capabilities.
