Matches in the GAA Allianz leagues will be live streamed by the BBC for the first time this season.

A game each weekend will be featured on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport NI website starting this Saturday (January 29) with Down’s Division Two football match against Derry at Owenbeg. Throw in is at 6pm.

The football coverage continues with Galway’s visit to Newry in Division Two a week later before the focus moves to hurling the following weekend. The first live hurling match will feature Dublin taking on Antrim at Corrigan Park in Division One on Saturday 12 February.

Division One Football is featured for the first time on February 19 with Armagh playing neighbours Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds. Down v Roscommon in Division Two is the match on February 26, while Armagh’s tie against Kildare is the streamed game on March 12.

The BBC’s live streamed coverage of league games for 2022 concludes with the Division Two Hurling tie between Down and Kerry on March 19.

As well as the new live streamed coverage, BBC Sport NI’s GAA podcast, ‘The GAA Social’, returns to BBC Sounds on Tuesday 01 February. Oisín McConville and Thomas Niblock will meet the biggest names in the sport every week, travelling near and far, with no subject off-limits.

The podcast, which will run for 30 weeks until the All-Ireland Final, will feature some of the most famous names in GAA as well as all the news, discussion points and debate around the 2022 season.

The GAA Social is available from Tuesday 01 February on BBC Sounds.

For fans unable to access the BBC iPlayer or website, the games will also be available on GAAGO on the island of Ireland and internationally

GAA President Larry McCarthy said:

“We are pleased to announce an extension to our long-standing relationship with BBC Sport NI as part of our efforts to improve access to our games all year round.

“This new weekly slot, featuring live Allianz Football and Hurling League action, will enhance our offering to both new and existing audiences at a time when our leagues have never been more popular.

“I welcome and look forward to the coverage, not just on match days, but on various BBC platforms for supporters across the island.”

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**Neil Brittain, Executive Editor BBC Sport NI said:

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“We know how important the leagues are to GAA audiences and we are delighted to be bringing live football and hurling to BBC iPlayer for the first time.

“We are also pleased to be expanding our broadcast partnership with Croke Park and look forward to giving GAA an even greater platform across BBC NI.

“The GAA Social podcast on BBC Sounds was hugely popular last year prompting some great debate around the game and we’ve doubled the length of its run right up until the end of the All-Ireland series. We know that it will continue to go from strength-to-strength in 2022.”

The GAA Social host and BBC GAA commentator, Thomas Niblock, said:

“With live-streams of the leagues on BBC iPlayer and The GAA Social returning to BBC Sounds we are going to deliver some great content for GAA fans across the BBC’s digital platforms. We have a brilliant 2022 planned for the podcast. Oisín and I have secured some of the biggest names in Gaelic Games who will provide genuine insights all wrapped up with plenty of craic along the way.”

**Fixtures live on BBC iPlayer:

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Saturday 29 January – Derry v Down (Division Two Football) 6pm
Saturday 5 February - Down v Galway (Division Two Football) 5pm
Saturday 12 February - Antrim v Dublin (Division One Hurling) 2pm
Saturday 19 February - Armagh v Monaghan (Division One Football) 530pm
Saturday 26 February - Down v Roscommon (Division Two Football) 5pm
Saturday 12 March - Armagh v Kildare (Division One Football) 6pm
Saturday 19 March - Down v Kerry (Division Two Hurling) 2pm