NFL London games return as Eagles face Jaguars and Efe Obada tells his story
The NFL's London series has returned with three games this month, including Eagles versus Jaguars on Sunday, as former player Efe Obada promotes the match and shares his life story.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The NFL's London series has returned, with three blockbuster games scheduled in the capital this month. The latest is Sunday's meeting between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars, a fixture promoted as one of the standout events of the international schedule.
The game is due to be shown from 2pm on Sunday. Ahead of it, former player Efe Obada spoke about the growth of American football in Britain and his own route to the sport.
Obada said the appetite for the NFL in the UK continues to grow. He pointed to a takeover of Trafalgar Square, sell-out international games and increasing buy-in from players, coaches and fans. He also said more talented people are getting access to the game.
In an interview, Obada discussed his life story. He was born in Nigeria, was trafficked with his sister and spent time in the UK and the Netherlands. He grew up in foster care with his sister. He found American football at 21 and by 22 was in the NFL. He went on to have a 10-year career, well above the average of around two and a half to three years.
Last week, Obada was inducted into the Ring of Honor at the Tottenham game. He is now moving into broadcasting and starting the Efe Obada Foundation, which will help children in foster care. He said his past does not define him, describing it as a chapter that can be rewritten. He wants his journey to be hope and a blueprint for the next generation.
Obada also urged people who have never watched an NFL game to tune in this weekend. He described the matchup as one of the most exciting weekends, with two heavy hitters, star power on the Eagles offence and defence, a strong atmosphere, pre-game fireworks and hard hits. Fans have been gathering in Trafalgar Square as part of the build-up.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Efe Obada was inducted into the Ring of Honor at last week's Tottenham game and is launching a foundation to support children in foster care. | Reported by Channel 5 |
| The Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars are scheduled to play in London on Sunday. | |
| The NFL London games returned with three games scheduled in London this month. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel treated the NFL's London return as a human-interest interview led by Efe Obada's personal story rather than match analysis. It highlighted his trafficking, foster care, NFL career and charity work, then used him to sell the Eagles-Jaguars game. The tone was warm, celebratory and inspirational, with the game itself framed as a spectacle.
- “NFL is back with three blockbuster games held in London this month.”
- “Your past doesn't define you. It's just a chapter. And then you have the ability to rewrite your future.”
- “this weekend is going to be one of the most exciting weekends. You've got two of the heavy hitters, the Jaguars are coming in, the Eagles got lots of star power, offence, defence, the atmosphere in general.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.