Viaplay pull OUT of Scottish football to spark Scotland national team blackout fears

Viaplay have pulled OUT of all UK sport coverage as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures, leaving Scotland national team games facing a blackout.

The Nordic broadcaster are the current sponsors of the League Cup and show the competition exclusively live – with Motherwell v Queen’s Park due to be beamed live on Saturday – as well as agreeing a deal to show Scotland matches until 2028. Despite this latest development, we can reveal Viaplay will continue to show League Cup games on their streaming service as they attempt to sell their UK business or partner up with another company. What is not clear is whether Scotland national team games – with Viaplay’s deal done centrally with UEFA – will still be shown by the Nordic broadcaster.

Fears emerged within Scottish football after it emerged Viaplay were carrying out a strategic review after funning into financial difficulties but Record Sport exclusively revealed SPFL chiefs were calm having been paid up in full for next season, and securing legal guarantees for future funding in a rights package that runs until the summer of 2027.

Now the Scandinavian streamers have confirmed they will end all broadcasting in Britain, the USA and Canada as they lay off 25 per cent of staff. Viaplay CEO Jorgen Madsen Lindemann said: “We are today announcing a new strategy and plan, which includes, but is not limited to, focusing on our core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select operations (which make available a wide range of Viaplay series, films and documentaries through partners around the world); implementing a new operational model; downsizing, partnering or exiting our other international markets; rightsizing and pricing our product offering in the Nordics; undertaking a major cost