Top-flight football returning to TV screens for free as BBC strike three huge deals for 2026

The BBC is broadcasting a wealth of live sport across 2026

The BBC’s decision to broadcast Italian football until the end of the season will undoubtedly please supporters fed up with the escalating costs of streaming platforms. But the corporation hasn’t stopped there – it’s also finalised two other significant agreements bringing sport to free-to-air television.

Alongside delivering Serie A to viewers nationwide, the BBC has confirmed it will maintain its coverage of England’s Netball Super League following an extension of its rights deal ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Earlier in January, the broadcaster also revealed a groundbreaking partnership with YouTube, which will see the BBC creating content for the video platform. The material will feature a blend of entertainment, documentaries, children’s programming, news and sport.

MAKE THE MIRROR YOUR FIRST CHOICE! Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

Coverage kicked off with the current Winter Olympics, taking place in Milan and Cortina, with the BBC screening extensive action from the Italian-hosted competition.

The BBC’s arrangement for Italian football allows it to show eight Serie A fixtures between now and the season’s conclusion. The deal involves matches being sub-licensed from DAZN through BBC Alba and launched with Bologna’s 2-1 victory over Torino on Sunday.

READ MORE: Winter Olympics star BANNED from rest of Games after fighting rival as statement releasedREAD MORE: Lindsey Vonn ‘instantly’ cried after watching video following horror Winter Olympics crash

The free-to-air football coverage will allow Scottish supporters to follow several of their international stars playing in Italy in the build-up to this summer’s World Cup.Among them is former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who now features for Serie A champions Napoli.

Additional Scottish players currently competing in Serie A include Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Lennon Miller, Josh Doig and Kieron Bowie.

Margaret Cameron, Alba’s director of content, said on the deal: “This is a great opportunity for fans in Scotland to see these games free-to-air and enjoy watching the fantastic Scottish talent in Serie A in the run up to the World Cup.”

Under the Netball Super League arrangement, the BBC will screen one match per week throughout the regular season on iPlayer. Sky TV holds the main domestic rights package as part of a three-year agreement running from 2024 to 2026.

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Championing women’s sport matters to us and bringing the NSL to BBC iPlayer puts it in front of more people than ever, free-to-air. It’s fast, physical and uncompromising, and we’ll be there every week, right at the heart of it.”

Additionally, reports suggest the BBC plans to expand its YouTube channel portfolio to 50. This expansion has allowed the broadcaster to deliver 450 hours of coverage from the ongoing Winter Olympics.

In a joint statement, YouTube and the BBC revealed the partnership would showcase “the best homegrown storytelling and news from across the BBC”.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page

The broadcaster utilises YouTube to share teasers and brief excerpts from its programmes. Its primary channel counts over 15 million subscribers, whilst BBC Sport’s YouTube presence has accumulated roughly 906,000 followers.

BBC director general Tim Davie said: “We’re building from a strong start and this takes us to the next level, with bold homegrown content in formats audiences want on YouTube and an unprecedented training programme to upskill the next generation of YouTube creators from across the UK. Importantly, this partnership also allows new audiences different routes into BBC services like BBC iPlayer and Sounds.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us – and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Content cannot be displayed without consent

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Nvidia stock trims losses as chip sell-off eases amid AI financing concerns

Chip stocks pared losses Thursday after concerns over debt-heavy balance sheets triggered a broader AI-driven sell-off on Wall Street. The overall Tech (XLK) sector trimmed declines as investors rotated into defensive sectors and bought up Treasurys, pushing long-dated yields substantially lower. Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) and peer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) fell roughly 1%, paring

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Q3 2026 Earnings Call Summary

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Q3 2026 Earnings Call Summary – Moby Strategic Execution and Market Expansion Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we’ll show you why it’s our #1 pick. Tap here. Performance was driven by robust client momentum

IBM Has Paid Dividends Since 1916. Here’s Why Retirees Should Pay Attention Now

Quick Read IBM’s $14.7B free cash flow covered dividends at a 42% payout ratio in 2025, but one-cent annual raises since 2020 deliver little real income growth. Cisco raised its dividend 2% backed by $14B in operating cash flow; Oracle froze its payout while burning cash on $28B in capital spending. Just released. Our analysts

Dell Stock Nosedives After Barclays Downgrade

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) shares slid about 7% Thursday morning, extending Wednesday’s selloff after Barclays questioned whether AI-server demand can justify the stock’s rally. Barclays analyst Tim Long lowered Dell to Equal Weight from Overweight and cut his price target to $574 from $603. He also downgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise

DraftKings Is Down 44% in 2026: Is DKNG Stock Dead Money or Due for a Bounce?

Quick Read DraftKings has cratered 44% in 2026 to $19.14 as exchange-based prediction markets steal sports betting share without the licensing costs that burden DKNG. Flutter stock’s 65% collapse dwarfs MGM’s softer 20% drop, exposing pure-play sportsbook operators as the hardest-hit names in gambling. Whether DraftKings’ share of betting handle stabilizes against exchange platforms is

Is American Airlines Stock’s Drop A Chance To Buy?

Image from Pixabay American Airlines (AAL) stock has lost 24.4% since July 16, against a 2.7% gain for the S&P 500. The carrier trails Delta and United on profit, and executives cut their 2026 earnings outlook again in July, citing higher fuel costs. Yet the airline is chasing higher-spending travelers with more premium seats. Investors

Han Hye-jin takes same-day business-class trip to Hong Kong to eat dumplings

Model and broadcaster Han Hye-jin drew attention for her unusual travel scale, using even business class for a same-day trip to Hong Kong. On the 16th, a video titled “I went on a same-day trip to Hong Kong and lost my phone” was posted on Han Hye-jin’s YouTube channel. That day, Han Hye-jin set out

UK's hard-right Reform party hit by fresh scandal as racist views caught on camera

UK’s hard-right Reform party hit by fresh scandal as racist views caught on camera

Published on 15/10/2026 – 11:27 GMT+2 Britain’s hard-right anti-immigration Reform UK party was hit by a fresh scandal on Thursday after party councillors and candidates were filmed in an undercover investigation using racist language. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In one excerpt from the 90-minute programme “Undercover: A Year in Reform” by ITV News, black children were referred

New York City police officers are on duty outside the Lotte Palace Hotel during a United Nations General Assembly leaders reception, late Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Russian Investigators Question Novaya Gazeta Editor After Raiding His Home

Oct 15 (Reuters) – The editor-in-chief of Russian ⁠independent ⁠newspaper Novaya Gazeta was ⁠taken in for questioning by investigators in Moscow on ​Thursday, the outlet said, after authorities searched his home. The TASS state ‌news agency, citing law enforcement ‌sources, said Sergei Sokolov was being questioned in a case ⁠regarding the “unlawful ⁠use of personal

Paychex Builds Fortress of Steady Dividend Growth While Stock Struggles

Quick Read Paychex (PAYX) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $1.19, delivering a 4.4% yield backed by $2.56B in operating cash flow that covers payouts at a 63% ratio. ADP pairs big dividends with buybacks, while Paycom funds $345M in repurchases with new debt, making Paychex the only one centering capital returns on dividend growth.

POLITICS Polls

Labour to end local coalitions with Greens if they do not condemn Zionism policy

Labour has said it will end its power-sharing agreements with the Green Party on local councils if they do not reject the “Zionism is Racism” policy adopted earlier this month. All Labour council groups who are currently in coalition, or other power-sharing arrangements, with the Greens at council level have been asked to write to

Why CoreWeave stock panic matters to Nvidia, explained in under 30 seconds

Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is unlikely to ignore the building pressure on CoreWeave’s (CRWV) stock price and bond values. The simple reason why is that he can’t look the other way given how intertwined Nvidia is with the most well-known — and debated — neocloud. For one, in January of this year Nvidia announced

New York City police officers are on duty outside the Lotte Palace Hotel during a United Nations General Assembly leaders reception, late Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

New China-North Korea Bridge Opens After More Than a Decade of Delay

BEIJING (AP) — A new bridge linking China and North Korea opened Thursday after more than a decade of delay, signaling deeper ties between the two countries. China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that a ceremony for the launch of the New Yalu River Bridge was held in the morning. An online video from state

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x