NFL London 2022: NFL Network Goes Overseas for First of Three International Games in Europe

NFL London 2022: NFL Network Goes Overseas for First of Three International Games in Europe In November, the broadcaster heads to Munich for first-ever NFL game in Germany By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Thursday, September 29, 2022 - 9:49 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

When London calls, the NFL Network answers. Next week, the broadcaster will be stationed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London for a pair of games: Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 2 and New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 9. Prior experience at the venue will be a huge advantage.

Having a full-time NFL presence in London over the years has certainly worked in everyone's favor, says Dave Shaw, VP, head of media operations, NFL Media. We've made sure that our coverage on NFL Network will be comparable to the highest level we've experienced for A-game productions.

Working With Tottenham: Premier League Club Provides Strong Partnership, Stellar Venue Throughout the season, NFL Media works with all 30 franchises. For example, the league works closely with each organization for the production of the NFL Draft. For the two Sunday games in London, Shaw and his team have been in close contact with the personnel at Tottenham Hotspur: a top-four club in the highest tier of English soccer, the Premier League. From the NFL's standpoint, converting a soccer pitch into a world-class football field can be difficult. Luckily, the league is playing in one of the newest soccer-specific stadiums in the country. Opened in 2019, the $1.07 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the first stadium in the world with a retractable pitch that unveils an NFL-certified football field beneath it. Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, is one of the league's first teams with a retractable field.

Built with the world's first retractable pitch, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium comes with an NFL-certified field.

The staff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium designed the stadium for NFL games, including camera locations and booths, Shaw points out. This gives us the amenities that we've become comfortable with in the U.S.

Developed and installed by SCX Special Projects, an engineering firm located 162 miles away in Sheffield, the pitch is divided into three separate sections and rolls into a storage area beneath the South Stand in about 25 minutes. Two regular-season NFL games were played in the building in October 2021, and the architectural marvel allowed NFL Network to produce them in a venue that was familiar.

We've had a great experience leading up to the games on Sunday, says Shaw. This venue helps us take our production to another level.

Studio Programming in London: Facility in Los Angeles Plays Pivotal Role NFL Network's Adam Acone (left) and Dave Shaw are onsite in London.

Heading into the weekend, NFL Network is providing football fans with a diverse slate of live programming. To capture the sights and sounds of the English capital, NFL Network Senior Director, Media Operations, Adam Acone and his crew have assembled multiple studio sets in two primary locations: Westminster Live Studios with views of Parliament in the background and Potters Fields Park in front of the iconic Tower Bridge. The former locale hosted programming on Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27; the latter, shows from Wednesday, Sept. 28 to Friday, Sept. 30. During the past week, Good Morning Football has featured Jamie Erdahl, Jason McCourty, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt. The show has been remotely produced at the NFL Films facility in Mount Laurel, NJ, through the help of Director, Transmission Operations, John MacNamara; Director, Broadcast Engineering, Kevin Clifford; Director, Studio Operations, Eddie Sheridan; and Senior Technical Manager Rhett VanBuskirk.

In addition, a live version of the Around the NFL podcast with Gregg Rosenthal, Dan Hanzus, and Marc Sessler was recorded at O2 Forum Kentish Town on Thursday, Sept. 29.

For pre/postgame, NFL Media is tapping the NFL's L.A. facility next to SoFi Stadium. NFL GameDay Kickoff, which will begin at 7 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 2, will be a 2 -hour edition featuring Colleen Wolfe, Kurt Warner, Willie McGinest, Cynthia Frelund, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero from the Los Angeles and Stacey Dales and Rachel Bonnetta reporting live from London. The L.A.-based talent will also be ready to go in case the game broadcast is delayed by weather or other circumstances. NFL fans are creatures of habit, but, for this upcoming Sunday, live game coverage will come a lot earlier than usual, with 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff.

The set of NFL Network's Good Morning Football overlooks London's iconic Tower Bridge.

Due to timing, the game will replace our normal Sunday programming of GameDay Morning, says Shaw. Many fans have become accustomed to getting their preview of the Sunday games, but they'll instead be treated to an early game.

On the call inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, play-by-play commentator Kevin Kugler, analyst Mark Sanchez, and sideline reporters Laura Okmin and Erdahl will document the action between the Vikings and Saints. After the final whistle, Wolfe, Warner and McGinest in California will handle postgame duties. For the Giants-Packers on Oct. 9, the network will precede Sunday's broadcast with a week's worth of Total Access from Los Angeles, integrating live segments from London.

NFL Network's Dave Shaw, Adam Acone, and Senior Technical Director Rhett Van Buskirk on the field

The main linear telecast will be carried on NFL Network, but fans can access all this content live from the new NFL+ direct-to-consumer platform and through NFL Game Pass International outside the U.S. Local broadcast stations in Minneapolis (KSTP) and New Orleans (

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/09/29/nfl-london-2022-nfl-network-goe...
	See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines