The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is reportedly negotiating a sublicensing agreement with Premier Sports to prevent a broadcast blackout for the imminent UK international football fixtures. As it stands, even those with a Betano sign up offer for UK players are unable to access some home nations fixtures from the tournament. This move is designed to ensure fans can watch their teams compete in the upcoming games.
The domestic rights for Scottish football and Northern Ireland games were previously held by Viaplay, a streaming service that had planned to enter the UK market after securing a package from Sky Sports in 2022.
The deal included broadcasting all Scotland and Northern Ireland matches during various tournaments such as the UEFA Nations League, FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, UEFA EURO 2028 Qualifiers, and international friendlies.
However, due to cost-cutting measures and a shift of focus towards its core market in Scandinavia, Viaplay announced last year that it would not be expanding into the UK after all. This decision came just one year before its broadcast rights deal in the UK was set to commence.
Following this announcement by Viaplay, Premier Sports purchased its sports media rights earlier this year. However, this acquisition did not include the rights package for UEFA fixtures which left fans without any means of watching their teams play.
Scotland is scheduled to play Poland in its first Nations League fixture on September 5th followed by an away fixture against Portugal on September 8th. Similarly, Northern Irish football fans are also facing difficulties as there is no national broadcaster available for their Nations League games this week.
To resolve these issues and ensure uninterrupted access for fans across Scotland and Northern Ireland during these crucial matches, the BBC, along with Premier Sports, are working out an agreement with Viaplay regarding UEFA's rights package.
It is expected that the BBC will broadcast home games for both the Scotland and Northern Ireland teams, while Premier Sports will cover all away fixtures. This arrangement aims to ensure that fans can continue to support their teams throughout these important matches.
For English international fixtures, ITV has secured broadcasting rights for all UEFA competition games. Similarly, the Welsh-language network S4C holds a similar deal in place for the Wales team. These arrangements ensure that football fans across the UK can watch their national teams compete on an international stage.
This collaboration between the BBC and Premier Sports demonstrates a commitment towards ensuring fans do not miss out on any of the action during these crucial international football fixtures.
