The DUP Sports Spokesperson said, “I will be seeking clarify from the BBC about what their local sports offering will be on tv. In a year where we have seen interest in the Irish League rise and with excitement at every level of the game, the BBC will leave some fans unable to see action. This isn’t a one-off either, but follows programmes such as Final Score NI being ditched previously.
There are real fears that local football won’t be the only one to suffer and for rugby fans particularly the BBC needs to make clear what coverage they will be offering in the future. Showing highlight reels online simply isn’t an equivalent to a show with analysis and features which provide a much higher quality offering to the viewer.
Local licence fee payers deserve clarity on the BBC’s intentions for sports coverage here. People have become increasingly disillusioned with the BBC which rarely seems to live up to the high standards they claim to have. They need to spell out now whether the Irish League decision was simply the first part of a ‘drip-drip’ process that will further hollow out local sports coverage.”