Celtic v AZ Alkmaar Europa League bout still without broadcaster

By Euan Davidson

August 17, 2021

Fans who want to watch Celtic v AZ Alkmaar but can’t get to Paradise tomorrow remain unclear about which broadcaster is carrying the game.

No channel has – yet – successfully bid to host the match, which kicks off at 7.45pm tomorrow [Celtic FC].

For viewers in Scotland and the rest of the UK, only a commentary service will be provided by Celtic [Celtic TV]. For the home leg between the Bhoys and Jablonec last week, the club introduced a pay-per-view service to carry the tie.

However, the Europa League play-off round has fast approached. And still, no broadcast details have been released.

Interestingly, the BBC aired the away leg against Jablonec. It was the first non-domestic Celtic match the national broadcaster had shown in some time.

Broadcast details for the home leg against Jablonec were released on the lunchtime before the game. Supporters will be keenly awaiting a similar update.

Meanwhile, Celtic are keen to ensure a right-back will arrive by the time the game kicks off. A report late last night states that the Bhoys were keen to get a quick deal done for Croatian right-back Josip Juranovic [Glasgow Times].

Two very well-regarded outfits in the form of Celtic and AZ Alkmaar, but no broadcaster yet?

Broadcasting rights over the summer have been a pretty strange ordeal. It looked as if Premier Sports were keen on the rights to as many Celtic matches as possible. At the time of writing, they’re showing LASK against St Johnstone on Thursday, instead [Premier Sports].

The BBC’s brief flurry of interest offered hope for subscription-free watching. However, there’s no indication of a repeat for tomorrow night’s game.

If, indeed, Celtic v AZ Alkmaar is a PPV on the Hoops’ website tomorrow night, that’s workable. It’s just a bit strange, however. We’ve played far lesser teams to seemingly more interest from broadcasters.

While we can’t pretend to understand the inner workings of broadcasting rights, it’s a concern that these crucial qualifiers are being left in the lurch, TV-wise. For supporters who can’t get to the game, there’ll be reasonable concern.

Luckily, BT Sports has the Europa League contract. Provided we get through, we at least know which set of cameras will turn up.

Read more: Ange Postecoglou outlines his tactics for tomorrow night