TCL is the official television partner of the National Football League (NFL) — so, it makes sense that the NFL would bring its free streaming channel to TCL’s free, ad-supported streaming platform.
Starting this week, the NFL Channel will debut on TCL TV Plus, the free streaming television app baked into TCL-branded TVs running Google TV in North America.
The NFL Channel — which is different from cable TV’s NFL Network — offers original programming and replays of certain key NFL games during the season, as well as re-runs of classic NFL games and Super Bowl events during the off-season. On Sunday mornings and afternoons, NFL Channel also offers live, real-time stats of in-progress games airing on CBS and Fox (called NFL GameDay Preview).
TCL is the official television partner of the NFL, and includes NFL players and in-game action in some of its marketing materials for its Google TV and Roku-powered television sets sold in the United States.
“TCL’s expanded partnership with the NFL enhances the overall fan experience, driven by our leading technology and combined with the immense power of the NFL brand,” Mark Zhang, the President of TCL North America, said in a statement on Monday. “As one of the best-selling TV brands in the U.S, TCL is dedicated to delivering premium entertainment to its customers and this NFL extension fulfills that promise.”
The addition of the channel comes several weeks before the start of the multi-day NFL Draft, which will include coverage on NFL Network on cable and NFL Channel on streaming platforms.
“TCL’s unique collaboration with the NFL offers an unmatched slate of content offerings that puts fans first,” Haohang Wang, the General Manager of TCL Research America, said on Monday. “The TCL TV Plus app engages sports fans with a robust variety of content, striking a balance of the latest news headlines from around the League, coupled with legacy titles, marathons, and in-depth analysis. The addition of [NFL Channel]…highlights our unique approach to content collaboration with our trusted partners.”
In addition to TCL TV Plus, the NFL Channel is available on Paramount Global’s Pluto TV, Comcast and Charter’s Xumo Play, The Roku Channel, Fox Corporation’s Tubi, Peacock, Vizio WatchFree Plus and LG Channels, as well as the NFL app and via the NFL website.
The NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 25 and lasts through Saturday, April 27. The NFL’s 2024-2025 season is expected to start on September 5, with pre-season games played in August.
