ITV confirms TV rights deal for Scotland and Northern Ireland Nations League fixtures
The last-minute agreement with Viaplay will come as a major relief to supporters.
ITV has confirmed that it has snapped up the rights to show both Scotland and Northern Ireland's Nations League fixtures this week after reaching a late agreement with Scandinavian broadcaster Viaplay, which previously held the rights.
Scotland fans had been left in limbo when plans for the BBC to show the national team's upcoming matches with Poland and Portugal fell through at the last minute – meaning that there was a chance the games would be unavailable to watch on any broadcaster.
And there was a similar concern for Northern Ireland supporters, with the issue stemming from Viaplay's decision to withdraw from the UK market earlier this year.
But thankfully ITV has swooped in to save the day, with tomorrow's home match against Poland airing on ITV4 and ITVX from 7:30pm, and the away tie against Portugal being shown at the same time and place on Sunday 8th September.
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Meanwhile, the deal also includes Northern Ireland's matches against Luxembourg and Bulgaria, with the first tie airing on ITV3 and ITVX and the second showing solely on the streaming platform.
"We are delighted to air the men’s Scotland and Northern Ireland national teams' upcoming Nations League fixtures," ITV's director of sport, Niall Sloane, said in a statement.
"The games will be free to air across ITV and ITVX, ensuring fans can enjoy watching these matches live as the new league begins."
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Scotland's League A game against Poland at Hampden will be Steve Clarke's side's first match since their disappointing Euro 2024 campaign came to an end with a last-minute defeat against Hungary – and the Tartan Army will be hoping for a much more positive performance this time around.
Celtic captain and midfield stalwart Callum McGregor recently announced his retirement from international football, but the squad includes a number of players in line for their first cap, including Vancouver Whitecaps star Ryan Gauld, new Rangers signing Connor Barron and highly-rated Liverpool youngster Ben Doak.
As for Northern Ireland, Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has also just hung up his boots for international matches, the latest in a long line of veteran players to announce their retirements in recent months, following Steven Davis, Craig Cathcart and Stuart Dallas.
However, manager Michael O'Neill has said that he has an "exciting group of players" in his squad as they look to make a good start in League C.
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