Scotland’s Nations League qualifying campaign is at risk of being blacked out just two days before Steve Clarke’s side host Poland.
Scandinavian subscription channel Viaplay has agreed a deal with UEFA to broadcast all of Scotland’s international qualifying matches until 2028.
However, since announcing plans to withdraw from the UK last summer, the struggling club have entered into negotiations with Premier Sports and BBC Scotland to sub-license the rights to show the national team live.
A proposal remains on the table for both broadcasters to share live coverage of domestic qualifying matches (with Premier Sports gaining exclusive rights to show away games).
However, Mail Sport understands that negotiations with Viaplay over the price have proved difficult and complicated.
And while discussions continue in the hope of resolving the impasse, fans in the stands will miss the opening game against Poland at Hampden on Thursday night, followed by Sunday’s clash with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Lisbon unless there is a last-minute breakthrough.
Scots celebrate a goal against Ireland during the previous Nations League campaign in 2022
Armchair fans face the prospect of no live coverage of Scotland matches
John McGinn prepares with his teammates ahead of the match against Poland on Thursday
Viaplay’s relationship with Scottish football proved brief and unsatisfactory. In July 2022, the little-known broadcaster bought Premier Sports and rebranded the channel, acquiring the naming rights to the League Cup in the process.
However, last year the Nordic channel confirmed plans to pay off a quarter of its staff and conduct a strategic review of its international markets, including the UK, in a bid to stem losses.
Scottish spectators could be deprived of the chance to see Poland’s Robert Lewandowski at Hampden
Ronaldo to lead Portugal on Sunday, possibly without TV coverage for Scottish fans
Lyndon Dykes savours a goal against Ukraine in the previous Nations League campaign
The Irish-based Premier League made a swift return to Scottish football, buying back League Cup rights and securing a 20-game SPFL package for £8m, while also partnering with the BBC to acquire coverage of the SFA Scottish Cup.
The Scottish games remain the last rights package that Viaplay has yet to offload.
Having previously been outbid, Sky Sports have ruled out revisiting the issue, and fans in the stands now have an anxious wait to see whether the Premier League and the BBC can strike some sort of deal before Scotland play six Nations League Group A games against Poland, Portugal and Croatia between now and November.
