Every year it is one of the highlights of the US football league - even before the actual season begins: In the NFL draft, the young talents from the college and university teams are assigned to the individual 32 NFL teams (information: see box). With the start of the 2023/2024 season, RTL will be broadcasting the NFL exclusively and live on German television - and the Cologne broadcaster will be there live at the draft. This is the first time that the talent exchange can be seen live on German television.
It starts with the first round from Kansas City on the night of Friday, April 28th, from 0.30 a.m. CEST on the RTL streaming service and on the Nitro niche channel. Day two can be seen on Saturday night, also from 12:30 a.m., on RTL, with the conclusion on Saturday from 6 p.m. RTL promises that all transmissions should be free and freely accessible. "From the American Midwest, the on-air team greets fans with extensive coverage, capturing the extraordinary excitement and culture of the NFL draft locally," the statement said.
The NFL Draft is a process in which young players, primarily from college teams, are recruited from the 32 NFL teams. The draft consists of seven rounds. Typically, the team with the worst record over the past season gets the first pick, the team with the second worst record gets the second pick, and so on. The Super Bowl winner picks last in each round. In practice, however, it is not uncommon for the order to be changed both before and during the draft, since there is a lot of trading around the picks, so-called trades. The usual drafting procedure in US sports ensures a certain level of equality between the teams. The NFL Draft is a mega event in the USA and this year it will be held in Kansas City, Missouri.
At the same time, the TV broadcaster announced the first members of its team of presenters and experts, which will guide through the NFL broadcasts in the coming season. The draft will be moderated by Jan Stecker. The 63-year-old ex-football professional has already worked for the NFL broadcasts on Sat.1 and ProSieben in the past. He is supported in the moderation by ex-NFL player Markus Kuhn, who has already provided his assessments at several Super Bowls, and by Sebastian Vollmer, also ex-NFL professional, Super Bowl champion and experienced TV expert. Sports journalist Alex "Kucze" von Kuczkowski is to contribute "insights and questions from the fan community" from Cologne.
"Not only for the teams, but also for us, the NFL Draft is the starting signal for a new chapter in the history of this great sport," said Stephan Schmitter, Chief Content Officer of RTL Germany, about the broadcasts of the US football league.
The actual NFL season begins on September 7, 2023. Super Bowl LVIII will then take place on February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, USA. Exactly how the transmissions will be carried out on German television and which other moderators and experts the Cologne broadcaster will bring on board is to be announced in early summer.
The star is part of RTL Germany.
