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 NI, the current rights holders, had been in negotiations with the IFA.
The corporation had been due to hold talks with the IFA next week and BBC NI Sport executive producer Shane Glynn said he was "shocked" by the news.
BBC NI head of sport Mike Edgar said the corporation had been scheduled to hold a formal meeting to discuss their formal contract offer next Thursday.
However, it is understood a multi-million pound deal has been agreed with Sky.
He said that "we put serious money on the table" but Sky have "come up with such a huge figure that we wouldn't have been able to match them".
BBC NI head of sport Mike Edgar said on Friday morning that the corporation had been scheduled to hold a formal meeting to discuss their formal contract offer next Thursday.
"We put a serious amount of money put on the table but I think Sky have come up with such a huge figure for this deal that we wouldn't have been able to match them," said Mr Edgar.
"The power of the cheque book has resulted in us losing out to Sky.
"We also very disappointed with how the issue has been handled.
"We also very disappointed with how the issue has been handled.
We also have to look over what sort of commitment Sky will make in the long-term NI Supporters' spokesman Gary McAllister
"We still have received no formal communication from the IFA which is very disappointing given the long relationship that we have had with them."
"We still have received no formal communication from the IFA which is very disappointing given the long relationship that we have had with them."
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."
Mr McAllister added that "both BBC and before that Ulster Television stood by Northern Ireland football through the lean years".
"In the late 1980s and during the 1990s when the team wasn't doing so well, our local broadcasters gave pretty good coverage to the team.
"We also have to look over what sort of commitment Sky will make in the long-term."
There have been suggestions that the new Sky deal may also include coverage of Irish League football although this has yet to be confirmed.
