BBC Sport to televise Super Bowl

Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory in 2007

BBC Sport will broadcast the Super Bowl - American Football's annual showpiece event - for the next two years.

A free-to-air deal signed with the NFL also includes highlights of the Wembley Stadium game between Miami Dolphins and New York Giants on 28 October.

And it will include other NFL London games that may be scheduled in 2008.

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

Super Bowl XLI saw the Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Miami and reached an estimated worldwide audience of nearly one billion in more than 220 countries.

SPORT EDITORS' BLOG The Super Bowl is more than just an American sports event Roger Mosey Director of BBC Sport

The Super Bowl is also 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.

"The Super Bowl is one of the world's great sporting events and we are delighted that after many years of covering it on 5Live, we are now also going to be showing it on BBC Television," said Philip Bernie, Head of BBC TV Sport Editorial.

"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 added: "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 TV presentation and commentary teams, as well as scheduling, will be announced in due course.