BBC Sport will broadcast the Super Bowl live over the next two years, having signed an exclusive free-to-air deal with the NFL.

The two-year deal will also include exclusive free-to-air highlights of the NFL London game on 28 October between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium, plus any other NFL London games that may be scheduled for next year.

Super Bowl XLII will be broadcast live from Arizona on Sunday, 3 February 2008 and Super Bowl XLIII will be broadcast live from Tampa, Florida in 2009.

On the deal, Philip Bernie, Head of BBC TV Sport Editorial, said: "The Super Bowl is one of the world's great sporting events and we are delighted that after many years of covering it on Five Live, we are now also going to be showing it on BBC Television.   

“The Super Bowl always attracts great interest and we are really looking forward to providing a new showcase for this huge occasion."

Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director of NFL UK commented: “We are thrilled to be announcing a partnership with the BBC. This represents a major landmark in the growth of our sport in the UK and will help us to establish the NFL as a significant part of the sporting landscape here.

“The BBC’s reputation in the presentation of televised sport is unrivalled and we are very excited about working closely with them.”

Further details relating to the BBC TV presentation and commentary teams, as well as scheduling, will be announced in due course.

In February 2007, Super Bowl XLI reached an estimated worldwide audience of nearly one billion in more than 220 countries as the Indianapolis Colts overcame the Chicago Bears in Miami.  As well as being one of the biggest events in world sport, the Super Bowl is renowned for its spectacular entertainment line-up, featuring performances in recent years by the Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Prince, U2, Sting and Beyonce Knowles.

Kirkwood continued: “This deal with the BBC completes a very exciting television package for the NFL in the UK. We now have two terrestrial TV partners in BBC and Five [which airs regular season games] and a new deal with Sky Sports that offers daily NFL programming all year-round and 130 live games. It is a mix that gives fans the best coverage they have ever had and offers us the chance to extend our reach to many new viewers.”

Courtesy: NFL UK Office.

Commenting on the news, BAFA WSP Manager, Ken Walters commented, "Grassroots American Football - already one of the fastest growing participation sports in Great Britain - has received another massive boost today with this fantastic news. The BAFA send many congratulations to Alistair and the team at the NFL UK Offices for pulling this package off".