BBC seals deal to broadcast 38 Serie A matches live on free-to-air TV

The arrangement, described by a BBC source as a “no-brainer”, significantly expands on last season’s eight-match offering and extends the broadcaster’s Italian football coverage to a full campaign.

BBC Scotland will lead production under a network arrangement, with games also available on BBC iPlayer. Rights to Serie A remain shared with TNT Sports and DAZN, meaning the BBC deal sits alongside existing paid-subscription coverage rather than replacing it.

The opening fixture under the new agreement is Sassuolo against Atalanta on Sunday, featuring Scottish duo Josh Doig and Kieron Bowie. Atalanta return to Serie A this season on loan after being relegated with Verona in 2025/26, while Sassuolo’s pair will be among the first British players to feature in the expanded coverage.

Scottish interest in Serie A has risen sharply in recent years, driven in large part by Scott McTominay’s standout performances for Napoli, who won the title in 2024/25. McTominay is joined at the Naples club by fellow Scot Billy Gilmour as they look to reclaim the championship from Inter Milan. Elsewhere, Che Adams continues at Torino, Lennon Miller lines up for Udinese, and Lewis Ferguson is expected to remain at Bologna despite transfer speculation.

A BBC source told The Scotsman the motivation behind the expanded investment was clear. “We are bringing live European football to a free-to-air audience,” they said. “Arguably, Serie A remains the most glamorous league in the world, and with even more British players this season, we hope the coverage goes down well.”

The deal revives memories of Channel 4’s beloved Football Italia strand from the 1990s — a connection BBC leaned into last season by bringing back presenter James Richardson for a guest appearance ahead of Napoli’s clash with Bologna.

Serie A has faced challenges selling its international media rights in recent years. In April it was reported the league had sounded out private equity investors over the potential sale of a minority stake in its international rights business, underlining the commercial significance of securing high-profile free-to-air exposure in new markets.