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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| BBC lose NI home games to Sky TV | BBC lose NI home games to Sky TV |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Sky television has secured the rights to broadcast live Northern Ireland home football internationals from next year. | Sky television has secured the rights to broadcast live Northern Ireland home football internationals from next year. |
| BBC Northern Ireland, the current rights holders, had been in negotiations with the IFA. | BBC Northern Ireland, the current rights holders, had been in negotiations with the IFA. |
| The corporation had been due to discuss the terms of an offer next week and BBC NI Sport executive producer Shane Glynn said he was "shocked" by the news. | |
| However, it is understood a multi-million pound deal has been agreed with Sky. | |
| Northern Ireland supporters' spokesman Gary McAllister said that the new deal would "squeeze out" a lot of people who are unable to attend home matches. | |
| "It will leave a lot of people disenfranchised," added Mr McAllister. | |
| "Older people who just cannot get to international matches because they cannot travel the distance or maybe because they cannot get to matches at night because of the cold weather. | |
| "These people are armchair fans and they support the team just as fervantly as those who get to Windsor Park." |