BT Sport Broadcast Deal Extended By Three More Years

BT Sport has been broadcasting live and exclusive coverage of English football’s fifth tier since 2013. The renewed deal will see matches continue to be broadcast live each week, in a regular Saturday slot.

Led by presenter Matt Smith, the weekly coverage follows the regular season championship race and the exciting end-of-season playoffs, with one team gaining a second promotion place into the English Football League.

Alongside Smith are commentators Adam Summerton and Adam Virgo, plus pundits including former Norwich City and Barrow striker Grant Holt, former Torquay United manager Chris Hargreaves and former Southport manager Kevin Davies. Joining them are reporters Natalie Quirk and Becky Ives.

Brian Barwick, chairman of the National League, said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with BT Sport. Their coverage of the Vanarama National League has been simply outstanding.

“Informed and comprehensive, our League has been broadcast in a highly polished and professional fashion. A lot of hard work over the last past seven years has produced some exceptional television.

“The new three-year contract will take us into over a decade of coverage by BT Sport. This speaks volumes for the confidence we have in how our matches have been brought to an established and growing audience”.

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “Over the past few years we’ve developed an innovative relationship with the League, including world-first 5G-enabled remote broadcasts and training local students who help create BT Sport’s National League highlights shows.

"The National League remain a valued partner to BT, particularly during the pandemic, in staging last season’s playoff matches and the 2020-21 season.”