Major sport axed by ITV as show Laura Woods used to host disappears

Posted by Admin September 4, 2024 NFL

NFL fans in the UK have been dealt a blow as the new season kicks off, with news there will be no main highlights programme on free to air television in 2024.

ITV has screened highlights on The NFL Show on Friday nights in the last two seasons, but that programme will not air in this 2024 campaign.

ITV’s weekly NFL highlights show has been scrapped this season

Laura Woods presented the NFL show in the 2022 campaign

It will be seen as a loss by many fans, especially as there used to be TWO highlights programme a week on the BBC.

The NFL Show was presented by Laura Woods in the 2022 season, alongside the popular double act of former NFL stars Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell.

Craig Doyle took over presenting duties for the 2023 season.

It tended to air after 11pm on a Friday night and would have remained the main way many NFL fans in the UK caught up with the weekly action.

There will be two London games shown live on ITV this season, both of them in October.

And February’s Super Bowl in New Orleans will also be broadcast live on the channel.

But the staple of recent seasons has been the highlights programme.

The BBC showed highlights for a number of years, initially presented by Mark Chapman and then Dan Walker.

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For some time, the programme was on twice a week, on Tuesday nights and then on Saturday after Match of the Day.

The programmes often attracted strong viewing figures, including on catch up services, as the sport continues to increase in popularity in the UK.

NFL UK & Ireland confirmed the news that there would be no weekly show on ITV this season, but there will be weekly streaming highlights and recap shows on YouTube.

The NFL previously agreed a three-year broadcast deal with ITV in 2022, moving some of its free-to-air rights to the commercial broadcaster from the BBC.

The Sun has contacted ITV for comment.

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The 2024 season finally kicks off with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.

The Chiefs are aiming to make NFL history and win the Super Bowl for the third year in a row.

The action switches to Sao Paolo in Brazil on Friday, with the Green Bay Packers taking on the Philadelphia Eagles.