Staff Writer Natalia Georgopoulos explores the anticipation surrounding Super Bowl LX within the UK NFL community, along with the key storylines for the big game.
America’s most anticipated sporting event is back! Super Bowl LX is right around the corner and expected to attract approximately 127.7 million viewers.
A large percentage of those tuning in will be UK fans, trading sleep for their sofas as the game carries them through to sunrise.
When is the game?
The New England Patriots are set to face the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, 8 February at 11:30 p.m. GMT.
How did the teams get here?
Two games were played on Sunday, 25 January to see which teams would go head-to-head in Santa Clara, California on 8 February.
The New England Patriots battled it out against the Denver Broncos. The Patriots came out on top with a 10-7 victory, securing their twelfth Super Bowl appearance, following their latest in 2019.
The Patriots to date have had the most appearances (11) and most wins (6) in Super Bowl history.
The Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams with a nail-biting 31-27 win. This is their fourth Super Bowl appearance, following their latest in 2015.
This is not the first time the Patriots and Seahawks have rivaled to be crowned Super Bowl Champions. Just over a decade ago at Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots went on to win 28-24 in a cinematic showdown.
Rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the goal line, with twenty seconds of the fourth quarter remaining. Their quarterback Tom Brady dominated the field with 4 touchdowns and claimed his third Super Bowl MVP title.
UK Popularity
In the UK, NFL popularity is rising. This is thanks to the International Series launched in 2007 with the New York Giants playing against the Miami Dolphins at London’s Wembley stadium. One regular season game was hosted here each year until 2015.
In 2019, Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium in White Hart Lane, North London became the first NFL purpose-built stadium outside of the US. With a capacity of 62,850 seats for avid fans, dedicated NFL locker rooms and an artificial field underneath a retractable grass pitch, the stadium remains the home of UK NFL. In 2025, three season games were hosted here, attracting thousands of fans.
From 1982, Channel 4 began broadcasting weekly NFL highlights which attracted a UK fanbase. Live NFL was brought to Sky Sports in 1995, helping to boost viewership. In 2020, an official NFL channel was established by Sky Sports, offering coverage on games every Sunday.
NFL coverage also returned to Channel 5 in 2025, broadcasting two games each Sunday evening. Popular streaming service DAZN has made NFL more accessible to UK audiences with its NFL Game Pass. Fans can watch games live, in real time or on demand.
The Primark x NFL collaboration launched in 2022, offering international sports fans a range of team apparel. The collection offers jerseys, hoodies and varsity jackets for men, women and kids. A handful of teams are featured, the most popular being:
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles
Miami Dolphins
Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets
Since the partnership, UK fans can enjoy team merchandise without having to pay overseas fees. The range also attracts customers who are not necessarily fans to discover the sport.
UK Fans’ Patriotism for the Patriots
The New England Patriots are no strangers to the UK. The team has played three games at London’s Wembley stadium in 2009, 2012 and 2024. Following from their success, they quickly began attracting a large fanbase.
As a result, the UK Patriots were formed, “an internet based fan club which has given Patriots fans in the United Kingdom a place to meet fellow fans and follow our team together.” The club also takes fans on “a Roadtrip every year to see our beloved New England Patriots play at Gillette Stadium,” which has been going since 2004.
Tom Brady is a notable figure in the NFL world and played as the team’s quarterback for 20 seasons. He currently holds the record for the longest team tenure, playing from 2000-2019. Brady was rated ‘England’s “favourite” player’ in 2012 for the third year running, following a survey conducted during a Bears-Bucs game at Wembley, where he received 20 percent of the vote.
In August 2023, Brady became a minority owner of Birmingham City FC which enhanced his presence within UK media. His investment and chairman position meant he worked closely with the board to boost “global marketing efforts and the identification of new commercial partnership opportunities.”
During the 2015-2016 season, Brady’s jersey was the third most popular jersey sold in the UK according to a recent list of top sellers at the NFLShop.com. The Patriots were rated fifth most popular team in the UK, with a 17 percent popularity rating in 2023.
According to data collected in October 2025, 3.4 percent of NFL search queries made in the UK each month were for the New England Patriots. (UK NFL Fans in 2025: The Breakdown – Hyperset Group Ltd)
The Seahawks’ Popularity Overseas
The Seattle Seahawks soared over to London in 2018 for their debut game on UK turf. They battled against the Oakland Raiders and left victorious with a 3-27 score. 84,000 fans packed into Wembley Stadium, making it the largest attended sports event in Britain that weekend.
Four years prior to the 2018 game, the Seahawks dominated the Denver Broncos in a 43-8 win during Super Bowl XLVIII. The game was broadcasted on Channel 4 and attracted millions of UK viewers who stayed up to watch them lift the trophy and claim the title for the largest margin of victory by an underdog.
The UK Sea Hawkers were established as the fan club in 2004, connecting overseas fans with their team. The club organizes “social meets throughout the season, especially in connection with the International Series games that are held at Wembley or Tottenham every October.”
In the 2010s, their defense became the most recognized within the NFL. Players Richard Sherman (CB), Earl Thomas (FS), Kam Chancellor (SS) and Brandon Browner (CB) formed the Legion of Boom (LOB). Their tactical scheme of utilizing their sizes and strengths allowed easy disruption against opposing receivers.
The NFL in 2014 began to tighten their rules on defensive holding and illegal contacts which progressively put an end to the harsh defense style the LOB conducted in play. Media coverage on the defense attracted fans to the team to watch games when the LOB were in their prime.
Data collected in October 2025 showed only 2.3 percent of NFL search queries made in the UK each month for the Seattle Seahawks. (UK NFL Fans in 2025: The Breakdown – Hyperset Group Ltd)
What to expect from Super Bowl LX
Californian rock band Green Day will appear in the opening ceremony, followed by Attention singer Charlie Puth, who will be performing America’s National Anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
After the second quarter, Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny will headline the iconic Super Bowl Halftime show. This will be the first time in Super Bowl history to have a Latin headliner and an entire performance in Spanish. The three-time Grammy Award winner is set to perform his most popular discography. Bunny released a sixth album in January 2025, accumulating 9.8 billion streams on Spotify in 2025.
Aside from the performances, both Mike Macdonald (Seahawks head coach) and Mike Vrabel (Patriots head coach) will be determined to lead their teams to victory in an intense four-quarter game.
Super Bowl LX is quarterbacks Drake Maye (Patriots) and Sam Darnold (Seahawks)’s first appearances. At twenty-three years old, Maye is set to become the second-youngest starting QB in Super Bowl history. This season was Darnold’s first with the Seahawks.
Following the Patriots vs Broncos game on Sunday, Maye is rumored to have injured his throwing shoulder at the end of a 13-yard run in the third quarter. The status of his injury is yet to be confirmed. Vrabel commented during an interview, “Nobody’s 100% (…) I wouldn’t say anybody hurt anything”.
Where can I watch Super Bowl LX?
Live coverage of the game will be available on Channel 5 (for free), Sky Sports and DAZN. Venues across London will be hosting watch parties, giving fans a chance to experience a traditional American gameday atmosphere.