New agreement enhances visibility of SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division football across the UK
The League of Ireland and BBC Sport NI are pleased to announce a new broadcast partnership that will see Derry City home fixtures shown in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division across the United Kingdom on the BBC iPlayer.
The agreement will see BBC Sport NI broadcast Derry City home fixtures in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
BBC Sounds / BBC Radio Foyle will continue to provide comprehensive live radio coverage of Derry City’s away games in the League of Ireland and both home and away matches in the Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup.
The remaining eight Derry City home SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division matches this season will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer. The match feed will also be supplied to LOITV, ensuring supporters around the world will continue to have access to live coverage of Derry City home fixtures through the League of Ireland's official streaming platform.
The first game live on the BBC iPlayer will be Bohemians’ visit to Celtic Park to face Derry City on Friday at 19:45.
League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon welcomed the agreement and highlighted its importance in expanding the League's audience into new markets.
"This is a significant step forward for the League of Ireland and for Derry City. The growth in interest and engagement with our League continues to accelerate, and this partnership with BBC Sport NI will ensure that more supporters than ever can access and enjoy our matches."
"The agreement strengthens our presence in the UK market while maintaining the global reach of LOITV. Importantly, the enhanced production standards being delivered by BBC Northern Ireland will further showcase the quality of the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division to audiences at home and abroad."
FAI Commercial Director Sean Kavanagh said the partnership represented another milestone in the continued commercial development of the League of Ireland.
"The League of Ireland's growth story continues to gather momentum and this agreement with BBC Northern Ireland is another example of the increasing value and appeal of our competitions."
"The partnership delivers additional exposure for Derry City and provides greater opportunities for supporters, sponsors and stakeholders to engage with the League. We are also pleased that LOITV subscribers worldwide will continue to have access to these fixtures through the BBC-produced broadcast feed."
