Northern Ireland Football on TV: Fixtures, Times and Channels

Last result: N.Ireland 0-0 Georgia (UEFA Nations League, Monday 5 October).

Every time below is UK time, and every channel is the UK broadcaster. Rebuilt daily as fixtures move and TV picks are confirmed.

Northern Ireland national team fixtures

Northern Irish club football on TV

Free football on Northern Ireland’s own channels

Taken from the Freeview schedule rather than the fixture list, so it includes highlights and magazine programmes as well as live matches.

• Wednesday 4 November, 11pm MOTD: UEFA Champions League, BBC One NI
• Saturday 7 November, 12.05pm The Football Interview, BBC One, BBC One NI, BBC One Scotland, BBC One Wales
• Saturday 7 November, 3.05pm Final Score, BBC One, BBC One NI, BBC One Scotland, BBC One Wales — highlights
• Saturday 7 November, 10.05pm Match of the Day, BBC One, BBC One NI, BBC One Wales — highlights
• Sunday 8 November, 7.05am Match of the Day, BBC One, BBC One NI, BBC One Scotland, BBC One Wales — highlights
• Sunday 8 November, 5pm MOTD: FA Cup Highlights, BBC Two, BBC Two NI, BBC Two Wales — highlights
• Sunday 8 November, 11pm Match of the Day, BBC One NI — highlights
• Monday 9 November, 7am Match of the Day, BBC Two, BBC Two NI, BBC Two Wales — highlights

Watching Northern Irish football without a subscription

BBC One and BBC Two Northern Ireland carry the national side’s qualifiers free to air.

Beyond that, the rules are the same as everywhere else in the UK: most live league football sits behind Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Which Northern Ireland matches are free by law

This is the part most people get wrong, and it is worth being precise about. A short list of sporting events is protected in UK law as “listed events”, which means they must be shown live on free-to-air television and cannot be sold exclusively to a subscription broadcaster.

For football the Group A list is:

• The FIFA World Cup finals tournament — every match, not just the final. So if Northern Ireland qualify, the whole campaign is free.
• The UEFA European Championship finals tournament — again, every match
• The FA Cup final

What is not protected is just as important: qualifiers are not on the list. Northern Ireland’s route to a tournament is free only because the broadcasters have chosen to buy it, not because anyone is obliged to show it — and that arrangement can change. Nor is any league football protected, which is why no amount of legislation will put a Premier League Saturday afternoon on free TV.

Frequently asked questions

When are Northern Ireland playing next?

Northern Ireland play Ukraine on Saturday 14 November, kick-off 7.45pm. TV channel not announced yet.

Can I watch Northern Ireland football for free?

Yes. Linfield vs Coleraine on Saturday 7 November at 6pm is on BBC iPlayer, with no subscription needed. BBC One and BBC Two Northern Ireland carry the national side’s qualifiers free to air.

What channel is the NIFL Premiership on?

Coverage is split between subscription broadcasters and the BBC. The table above shows the confirmed channel for each fixture, and which of them cost nothing.

Related: Football on free TV tonight · Women’s football on TV · What’s on TV tonight

Fixtures and TV listings updated daily, from TheSportsDB and the published Freeview schedule. Kick-off times are UK time and can change.