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Scotland’s Nations League Matches Moved to YouTube Amid Broadcasting Gaps

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Scotland Nations League 2023

Scottish football enthusiasts face a unique viewing arrangement as the upcoming Nations League fixtures featuring the Scotland men’s team against Croatia and Portugal will exclusively be available for live streaming on the YouTube channel of the Norwegian broadcaster, Viaplay. This shift arises from Viaplay’s decision to scale down its UK football operations, despite holding rights to Scotland’s competitive matches until 2028.

The upcoming match against Croatia is set to take place in Zagreb on Saturday at 17:00, followed by a home game against Portugal at Hampden Park scheduled for Tuesday at 19:45. Viaplay, which earlier sold its UK sports division back to Premier Sports, retained the broadcasting rights for UEFA international competitions, impacting Scotland’s current fixtures.

In recent developments, Viaplay chose not to sell these particular match rights to another broadcaster as it previously did for Scotland’s encounters against Portugal and Poland, which were acquired by ITVX. “The games will be made available on YouTube. As you might understand, we cannot comment further on any potential negotiations,” said a Viaplay spokesperson when questioned about future subcontracting plans.

The last incidence where a Scotland match was unavailable on traditional broadcast media was during a friendly against Poland in 2014, leading to public concern. Paul McLennan MSP, a regular attendee and passionate supporter, expressed his disapproval, stating, “One of the big issues is making sure that the fans can watch Scotland on terrestrial TV as much as they possibly can.”

BBC Scotland had nearly secured a deal for previous fixtures that eventually aired on ITVX. Both BBC Scotland and ITV have been approached for comments regarding their plans for current and future matches. The executive decision by Viaplay introduces an unprecedented scenario for Scotland’s broadcasting landscape and could set a precedent for how iconic international fixtures are accessed by fans going forward.

Rachel Adams

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