BBC loses NI home games to Sky TV

Northern Ireland striker David Healy

Sky Television has secured the rights to broadcast live Northern Ireland home football internationals from next year.

BBC NI, the current rights holders, had been in negotiations with the IFA.

BBC NI head of sport Mike Edgar said the corporation had been scheduled to hold a formal meeting to discuss their formal contract offer next Thursday.

He said that "we put serious money on the table" but Sky have "come up with such a huge figure that we wouldn't have been able to match them".

"We also very disappointed with how the issue has been handled.

"We still have received no formal communication from the IFA which is very disappointing given the long relationship that we have had with them."