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Belfast Live

Sport

Patrick Tierney

Boost for armchair fans as BBC Sport to live stream Allianz League games

Down GAA Derry TG4 Owenbeg (Geopolitical Entity) Armagh Dublin

Armchair fans are in for a treat this weekend following the news that BBC Sport NI have announced plans to live stream games for the forthcoming Allianz Football and Hurling leagues.

Each weekend one GAA game will be featured on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport NI website with the coverage starting with Saturday's all-Ulster Division Two football clash between Derry and Down in Owenbeg (6pm).

James McCartan's men are also set to feature the following week when they welcome Galway to Newry before the focus switches to hurling on Saturday, February 12 with Antrim taking on Dublin in Corrigan Park.

That means no fewer than seven Ulster sides will be broadcast live across different stations and platforms this weekend, starting with Kilcoo’s All-Ireland club SFC semi-final against St Finbarr’s in O’Moore Park on Saturday (3pm), which will be shown by TG4.

The Irish language broadcaster will also be showing Mayo’s clash with Donegal from Markievicz Park on Sunday (1.45pm) before All-Ireland champions Tyrone host Monaghan in Healy Park (3.45pm).

RTE will also show live coverage of Saturday night’s Division One tie between Dublin and Armagh at Croke Park (7.30pm).

Armagh's Division One clash with Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds (Saturday, February 19) and Down's Division Two meeting with Roscommon (Saturday, February 26) will also be featured by BBC Sport NI along with Armagh's home tie against Kildare on Saturday, March 12.

The BBC's League coverage concludes with the Division 2A Hurling League battle between Down and Kerry on Saturday, March 19.

Alongside the new live streamed coverage, BBC Sport NI's GAA podcast, 'The GAA Social' returns in 2022 with Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock.

BBC Sport NI will also stream Antrim's Division 1B hurling tie against Dublin (©INPHO/Evan Treacy)

Welcoming the expansion of the BBC's GAA coverage, GAA president Larry McCarthy said: "We are pleased to announce an extension to our long-standing relationship with BBC Sport NI as part of our efforts to improve access to our games all year round.

“This new weekly slot, featuring live Allianz Football and Hurling League action, will enhance our offering to both new and existing audiences at a time when our leagues have never been more popular.

“I welcome and look forward to the coverage, not just on match days, but on various BBC platforms for supporters across the island.”

Neil Brittain, Executive Editor BBC Sport NI said: “We know how important the leagues are to GAA audiences and we are delighted to be bringing live football and hurling to BBC iPlayer for the first time.

“We are also pleased to be expanding our broadcast partnership with Croke Park and look forward to giving GAA an even greater platform across BBC NI.

“The GAA Social podcast on BBC Sounds was hugely popular last year prompting some great debate around the game and we’ve doubled the length of its run right up until the end of the All-Ireland series. We know that it will continue to go from strength-to-strength in 2022."

This weekend’s GAA fixtures:

Saturday, January 29

AIB Junior Club Football Championship semi-final

Kilmeena (Galway) v Clonbullogue (Offaly) (Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 1.30pm)

Gneeveguilla (Kerry) v Denn (Cavan) (Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, 1.30pm)

AIB Intermediate Club Football Championship semi-final

St Faithleach’s (Rocommon) v Trim (Meath) (The Downs, 1.30pm)

Na Gaeil (Kerry) v Steelstown (Derry) (Connacht Centre of Excellence, 2pm)

AIB Senior Club Football Championship semi-final

St Finbarr’s (Cork) v Kilcoo (Down) (O’Moore Park, 3pm, live on TG4)

Padraig Pearse’s (Roscommon) v Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) (Kingspan Breffni, 5pm, live on TG4)

Allianz Football League Division One