UK viewers of Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles could face a £1,000 fine if they don’t have the proper paperwork in order.
Set to take place on Sunday (9 February) at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the highly anticipated matchup will see Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs go head-to-head with Jalen Hurts’ Eagles as the world watches.
Former President Donald Trump has confirmed he’ll be attending the event, alongside some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, including Taylor Swift, the global superstar and girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The halftime show will feature multiple Grammy award-winning artist Kendrick Lamar, with fans speculating whether he’ll escalate his ongoing feud with Drake.
As the NFL continues its expansion efforts across the Atlantic, the league sees the UK and Europe as key markets for growth, offering major financial opportunities.
That’s why in 2024, over 3.4 million Brits stayed up late to watch the event live, despite the kickoff at 11:30 PM and the game running into the early hours of Monday morning.
In the USA, the game is being broadcast on Fox and streamed for free on Tubi.
In the United Kingdom, Super Bowl LIX will be broadcast live on both ITV1 and Sky Sports. Viewers can watch the game for free on ITV1 or stream it live via ITVX. Sky Sports subscribers can also access the broadcast through their services.
Fortunately, fans can also watch the game on free-to-air channels, as ITV1 and ITVX hold the broadcasting rights for the 2025 event.
However, tuning in could land you with a £1,000 fine if you don’t have the proper paperwork in place.
That’s because a TV Licence is legally required to watch any live broadcast in the UK, including live streams on platforms like YouTube, Netflix live events, and ITVX.
Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, explains: “Under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV licence, regardless of the streaming platform.”
A TV Licensing spokesperson previously stated that the service “has a duty to enforce the law when there is evidence that someone has avoided paying for a TV Licence.”
The licence fee is currently £169.50 per year and is set to increase by £5 in April this year.
