How to watch Gaelic Football on BBC iPlayer (it’s FREE)

The opening weekend of the 2026 GAA Allianz Football League is here – and six heavyweight games will be shown live and for free by BBC Sport NI and streamed for free on BBC iPlayer. The action starts at 6pm on Jan 24, 2026 with a Division 2 clash.

Division 2 Football, Tyrone v Kildare, Saturday 24 January, throw-in 6pm
Division 1 Football, Monaghan v Armagh, Sunday 25 January, throw-in 2pm
Division 2 Football, Derry v Tyrone, Saturday 31 January, throw-in 6pm
Division 1B Hurling, Antrim v Clare, Sunday 01 February, throw-in 1pm
Division 1B Hurling, Antrim v Carlow, Sunday 22 February, throw-in 1pm
Division 2 Football, Tyrone v Offaly, Saturday 28 February, throw-in 6pm

How to watch Gaelic Football on BBC iPlayer from anywhere
BBC iPlayer streams many Gaelic Football games free for viewers in the UK as the GAA 2026 season kicks off.

If you’re traveling or living abroad, you’ll need a VPN to securely change your location and access your usual UK apps, including BBC iPlayer.

There are lots of VPNs, but NordVPN is the one you can rely on to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch GAA Irish football from anywhere in the world.

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NordVPN is our favourite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re visiting the US and want to watch your free BBC iPlayer stream, you’d select ‘United Kingdom’.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer, sign in, and watch Gaelic Football for free.

5 key storylines to watch for in the GAA 2026 season

Can Kerry continue their dominance?
Kerry begin the season as reigning Allianz League and All-Ireland champions, and everyone will be watching to see if they can defend their titles or if challengers close the gap early.

Ulster rivalries reignited
Matches like Monaghan vs Armagh and Donegal vs Dublin spotlight old feuds and new managerial eras as counties look to establish Division 1 supremacy from the first round.

Division 2 promotion battles
Tyrone and Derry aim to return to the top flight, while Meath and Cork seek to end their time in Division 2 — making every point crucial in a notoriously tight division.

New leadership and fresh faces
Moves like Galway’s new captain John Maher and Dublin’s lineup overhaul signal squad evolution, adding intrigue to who will step up on big league days.

Rebuilding and survival stories
Teams in lower divisions — from Clare and Westmeath to Antrim and Wicklow — have big early tests as they eye promotion or seek to avoid drop-outs, adding unpredictable drama across tiers.

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Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
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Android (Mobile & Tablet) – Android 7.0 and above
Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
Google TV
Freely
Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes)
iOS (iPhone & iPad) – iOS 14 and above
LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)
NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above – 2016 models only offer on demand TV)
Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream
Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)

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