Turkish Süper Lig receives UK coverage with BT Sport deal

The Turkish Süper Lig will receive live coverage in the UK and Ireland after pay-television broadcaster BT Sport acquired exclusive rights until the end of the season.

BT Sport will show three matches per weekend, with coverage to begin later today (Friday) with Goztepe against Trabzonspor. Tomorrow’s clash between Besiktas and Antalyaspor and Sunday’s fixture between Galatasaray and Rizespor will also be shown.

This marks the first time that the competition has been broadcast with English-language commentary in the UK and Ireland.

Previously, coverage of the league has been targeted solely at Turkish expatriates with international subscribers of Digiturk, the Turkish pay-television operator, able to watch matches via their set-top boxes. Digiturk has also sold carriage of its Lig TV channels to pay-television operators in international markets.

The Süper Lig still has eight full match days of the 2019-20 season remaining and BT Sport will show 24 matches in total between now and the end of the campaign.

International pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group, which owns Digiturk, has begun to sell the Süper Lig rights internationally in previous seasons, striking deals with broadcasters in markets in which beIN does not operate.

The league resumes today following a three-month absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with matches to be held behind closed doors.

The Süper Lig recently secured further coverage in Brazil after commercial broadcaster RedeTV struck a deal with DAZN, which already held the rights.