Germany’s Women’s Bundesliga is to receive broadcast coverage in the UK after a rights deal was struck by BBC Alba, the Gaelic-language channel of public-service broadcaster BBC Scotland.
BBC Alba has committed to showing at least five matches between now and the end of the season (in June), beginning with Saturday’s clash between Bayern Munich and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
After agreeing a deal with the German Football Federation (DFB), BBC Alba said that it is considering the addition of more matches as the season comes to a close. Pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, which already shows the men’s Bundesliga in an exclusive deal from 2017-18 to 2020-21, is thought to have also been interested in the UK rights.
BBC Alba is available across the UK via the BBC’s iPlayer streaming service and as a linear channel on the Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media platforms.
The channel has hailed the agreement as “the first live sport broadcast by a UK free-to-air channel since lockdown”. The BBC did, however, stream live action from Korea’s returning K League on May 8.
BBC Alba has showcased various top-tier women’s football in recent years, including Scotland’s national team qualifiers and friendlies, along with Scotland’s matches at the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup. The channel also broadcasts matches from the Scottish Women’s Premier League and has regularly aired Glasgow City’s matches in the Uefa Women’s Champions League.
The channel remains available in standard definition only.
Scottish internationals to have featured in the Women’s Bundesliga in recent seasons include Lisa Evans (now at Arsenal) and Sophie Howard (now at Reading).