The League of Ireland has announced a new broadcast partnership with BBC Sport NI that will see Derry City home fixtures in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division shown across the United Kingdom on BBC iPlayer.
The agreement will cover the remaining eight Derry City home league matches this season, beginning with Bohemians’ visit to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday night, with kick-off at 7.45 pm.
The BBC-produced match feed will also be supplied to LOITV, ensuring supporters outside the UK and 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.
BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Foyle will continue to provide live radio coverage of Derry City’s away games in the League of Ireland, as well as both home and away matches in the Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup.
The agreement represents a further broadening of the League of Ireland’s broadcast reach at a time when interest in the domestic game continues to grow.
“This is a significant step forward for the League of Ireland and for Derry City,” said Mark Scanlon, League of Ireland Director.
“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.”
For Derry City, the partnership offers an important additional window into the UK market, reflecting the club’s unique cross-border position within the League of Ireland and its strong supporter base in Northern Ireland.
It also adds further value to the League’s central broadcast ecosystem, with BBC Sport NI coverage complementing the existing LOITV service rather than replacing it.
“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,” said Sean Kavanagh, FAI Commercial Director.
“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.”
The first live match under the new agreement will see Derry City host Bohemians on Friday evening, giving UK audiences a new free-to-access route into one of the most compelling fixtures in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division calendar.
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Image Credit: League of Ireland
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