New TV deal spells shake-up for Wales
NORDIC streaming service Viaplay has won exclusive rights to show Wales matches from 2024 in a significant shake-up of live international football.
As part of a four-year partnership with UEFA, Viaplay will show European qualifiers for Euro 2028 and World Cup 2026 from 2024, along with UEFA Nations League and friendly matches. The move means Wales matches will no longer be shown on Sky Sports or, it seems, S4C.
Viaplay has since confirmed that it plans to offer Welsh language coverage, and has also said that some matches will be shown free-to-air. It’s also not clear just how much it will cost fans, many of whom will already be shelling out for subscriptions to services such as Sky Sports, BT Sport and Premier Sport in a bid to catch their favourite teams.
In the US, the service costs around $4.99 per month, which translates to around £4 a month in the UK at current exchange rates. Further details are expected when the service launches in the UK in the second half of the year.
The agreement comes through UEFA’s centralised National Association media rights sales process, and means the platform will also be the home of Scotland and Northern Ireland games. However, England matches are not part of the agreement.
Confirming the news, FAW CEO Noel Mooney tweeted: “Bora da. UEFA sell the centralised rights for all 55 national associations in Europe. We are in discussions with them re Welsh language, promotion of domestic game internationally, free-to-air matches of the Cymru national teams etc. Will update ASAP.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director at UEFA, added: “We are delighted to enter this new partnership with Viaplay.
“Viaplay will provide a comprehensive and innovative home for the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales National Team matches, as well as for all other thirdparty European national team matches.
“With Viaplay’s long-lasting football track record, we are confident that football fans across the UK will be part of the journey of each of the Home Nations and will be offered excellent coverage of the UEFA National Team Football competitions between 2024 and 2028.”