BBC Northern Ireland is to expand its coverage of the Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup this season after agreeing a broadcasting deal with the Irish Football Association.
The BBC has signed up to stream a match from each of the first three rounds of the competition on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport NI website before broadcasting this year’s semi-finals and final live on BBC Two NI.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic the Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup will be played in a condensed format with the competition starting on Tuesday 27 April and concluding with the final at Mourneview Park in Lurgan on Friday 21 May.
With no supporters currently permitted at matches BBC Northern Ireland is broadcasting more Irish Cup games to enable fans to watch the action from home.
BBC NI will begin its coverage by streaming the Round One match between Linfield, who have won the Irish Cup a record 43 times, and NIFL Championship side Annagh United, who will be playing their first competitive match since March 2020. The game kicks off at 7:45pm on Tuesday (27 April).
On Saturday 8 May a match from Round Two (last 16) will also be streamed on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport NI website as will one of the quarter-finals ties scheduled for Tuesday 11 May.
The coverage then switches to TV with both semi-finals in this season’s Irish Cup shown live on BBC Two NI. The knockout games are due to be played at Mourneview Park, home of Glenavon FC, on Tuesday 18 May with the first match kicking off at 4pm followed by the second at 8pm.
The 2021 Irish Cup campaign concludes with the final on Friday 21 May at Mourneview. Northern Ireland’s most prestigious cup final will be shown live on BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer with exclusive build-up, action and reaction across the BBC Sport NI website.
