How to Watch the Scottish Premiership: Sky Sports and Highlights

To watch the Scottish Premiership live in 2026-27, you need Sky Sports, which shows up to 60 exclusively live league games this season. You can get Sky Sports through a Sky TV package or stream it with a NOW membership and no contract. For free, Sky publishes highlights of every Premiership game it shows, and BBC Scotland has long carried highlights programmes.

This guide covers who shows what, the costs at the time of writing and how to follow games that are not televised.

Sky Sports and the SPFL deal

Sky is the live broadcaster of the Scottish Premiership under a deal that runs until at least 2029. For 2026-27, Sky says it will show up to 60 exclusively live Premiership games, including at least five from every top-flight ground, plus the play-off final. Every match of the opening weekend, from 31 July to 3 August, was live on Sky Sports.

That guarantee of five games per ground matters for supporters of smaller clubs, because it means every team gets meaningful live coverage, not only Celtic and Rangers.

Ways to get Sky Sports in Scotland

NOW prices are taken from NOW’s help pages at the time of writing. NOW Football includes the Sky Sports football channels and the football streams on Sky Sports+, so it is the natural choice if Scottish football is your main interest. BT and EE customers can only add the All Sky Sports membership through their TV bill.

NOW Football or All Sky Sports?

For most Scottish football fans, NOW Football is enough, because it covers the Sky Sports football channels where Premiership games are shown. All Sky Sports, at around £34.99 a month flexible, only makes sense if you also want golf, cricket, F1 or other sports. You cannot hold All Sky Sports alongside another NOW sports membership, but you can combine Football and Multi-Sport if your interests change during the year. Remember that the Saver discounts need a minimum term, so the flexible plan suits fans who only want the busiest months.

Free highlights

• Sky Sports digital: Sky makes highlights of every Premiership game on Sky Sports available free on its website, app and YouTube channel, and on Sky Q and Sky Glass.
• BBC Scotland: the BBC has traditionally shown Scottish football highlights, including the Sportscene programme, on BBC Scotland and iPlayer. You need a TV licence (£180 a year from April 2026) to watch BBC iPlayer.
• Clubs: official club channels post goals and interviews after matches.

Saturday 3pm games

Scotland applies the same broadcasting blackout as England, so live football cannot be shown on UK television between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on a Saturday. Most non-televised Premiership games kick off at 3pm, which is why Sky’s picks are moved to Friday nights, Saturday lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons.

For 3pm games, the legal options are radio commentary on BBC Radio Scotland and other stations, live text services and, of course, going to the match. Club streaming passes are usually only for fans outside the UK, so check your club’s site for what is available where you live.

Cup competitions and other Scottish football

The Scottish Cup and League Cup are sold separately from the league, so they can appear on different channels from the Premiership. Check the official SPFL and Scottish FA websites, or your TV guide, for each round. European games involving Scottish clubs follow the UEFA deals: Champions League matches, for example, are on TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

How to set it up

1. Check Sky’s televised fixture list on the SPFL or Sky Sports website to see how often your club is live.
2. Choose NOW Football or a Sky TV package. If you already pay for Sky TV, adding Sky Sports may be easiest.
3. Install the NOW or Sky Sports app on your TV. Our list of the best streaming devices covers sticks that run them well.
4. For smooth Friday night streams, use a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi. Our explainer on IPTV buffering helps if the picture keeps freezing.

Avoid unofficial streams and cheap “every channel” boxes. They are illegal in the UK and frequently carry malware or payment scams. Our guide on subscribing to IPTV safely explains how to tell the difference.

Which option should you choose?

• Season-ticket holder who wants away games: NOW Football on a Saver term.
• Big games only: NOW Day Membership for Old Firm and derby fixtures.
• Budget fan: free Sky highlights on YouTube, BBC programmes and radio commentary.

For broader live TV for the rest of the household, our IPTV Journal plan is $89 for 12 months, alongside the licensed Sky apps above. You can read more in our guide to IPTV in the UK.

FAQ

What channel is the Scottish Premiership on?

Live Scottish Premiership games are on Sky Sports, which has up to 60 exclusive live games in 2026-27. You can watch through Sky TV, NOW or providers that carry Sky Sports.

How many Scottish Premiership games are on TV?

Sky Sports plans to show up to 60 live games this season, including at least five from every Premiership ground and the play-off final.

Can I watch the Scottish Premiership without Sky TV?

Yes. A NOW Football membership streams the Sky Sports football channels with no Sky contract, at around £30.99 a month flexible or £23.99 on a Saver term at the time of writing.

Where can I watch Scottish Premiership highlights for free?

Sky publishes free highlights of every Premiership game it shows on its website, app and YouTube channel. BBC Scotland has also traditionally shown highlights programmes, which need a TV licence to watch.

Why are Saturday 3pm Scottish games not on TV?

Scotland follows the same broadcasting blackout as England, so no live football can be shown on UK television between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays.

Part of our guides: UK streaming guide · Soccer streaming guide