Damaris Cooke and Rolf Choutan will present Sign Up - Into Football once a month

Damaris Cooke Rolf Choutan TNT Sports

TNT Sports has launched Sign Up - Into Football, a monthly programme aimed at raising the profile of the deaf community and raising the visibility of British Sign Language (BSL).

Sign Up - Into Football will see presenters Damaris Cooke and Rolf Choutan travel the country to visit various football stadiums, where they will speak with a range of influential figures in the game as they recount all the action across the past month of English football and what storylines they will be following in the weeks ahead. 

The first episode takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground, and features interviews with Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, club legend Ledley King and current Spurs defender Ben Davies.

Cooke and Choutan were originally hired as part of the Sign Up initiative run by BT Sport and EE last season, and were the lead BSL broadcast presenters for the UEFA Champions League Final in June. 

Choutan said: “I’m thrilled have this opportunity to present on Sign Up - Into Football and once again work with Damaris. Having the opportunity to travel across the country to discuss the football is truly a dream come true. I hope the show will help raise awareness around the importance of BSL in sports broadcasting and provide greater access to deaf fans in the football community.”

Cooke, who formerly captained both the England Women’s and GB Women’s Deaf Football teams, added: “The experience of working with TNT Sports on Sign Up - Into Football has been amazing. I am honoured to have the chance to work with Rolf on this project, as it is something that I know he and I are deeply passionate about, particularly as members of the deaf community. I look forward to visiting some of English football’s legendary grounds and speak with leading figures in the game.”

Scott Young, SVP of content and production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “TNT Sports strongly believes that everyone should be able to watch and enjoy football: that’s why we’re proud to bring fans Sign Up - Into Football, providing greater access to the sport for all.

“By providing a platform for a diverse range of voices to front our programming and tell their stories, we can truly unlock the power of sport through purposeful broadcasts that will resonate with our audiences and partners. We’re very excited to have Rolf and Damaris on board given their stature as two role models in the deaf community and look forward to working with them throughout the season.”