British fans of Italian football have been handed a welcome gift ahead of the new Serie A season, with the BBC confirming it will broadcast 38 live matches from Italy's top flight across BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer. The coverage begins on Sunday evening when Atalanta host Sassuolo, with the match available on BBC ALBA and iPlayer from 19:35 BST.

The arrangement grants the BBC the right to screen one match per round of league fixtures throughout the campaign. BBC ALBA will carry 19 of those games with Gaelic and English co-commentary, reflecting the channel's strong Scottish sporting audience, while BBC Sport will stream the remaining 19 directly on iPlayer with English commentary. The deal represents a meaningful expansion of the corporation's European football offering, which already includes Bundesliga and La Liga clip packages.

A Healthy Scottish Presence in the Italian Top Flight

The timing is well-chosen. Scottish football followers in particular have considerable reason to follow Serie A closely this season, with a notable contingent of international players plying their trade across the peninsula. Scott McTominay remains the headline name, having become something of a cult figure at Napoli, while his club-mate Billy Gilmour will be hoping to put a difficult period behind him. Gilmour missed Scotland's World Cup campaign after suffering a knee injury, but with new manager Massimiliano Allegri now in the dugout at Napoli, the midfielder will be eager to force his way back into regular first-team contention.

Lewis Ferguson, a Coppa Italia winner in 2025, heads into his fifth season with Bologna, a remarkable tenure that has cemented his reputation as one of the more underrated Scottish midfielders of his generation. Torino's Che Adams and Udinese teenager Lennon Miller round out the Scotland contingent, giving BBC ALBA's audience plenty of familiar names to follow across the matchday schedule.

First up, however, is the trip to Bergamo, where former Hibernian pair Kieron Bowie and Josh Doig are expected to be involved in the Sassuolo squad. Both carved out their early careers in Scottish football before making the move south, and their progress will be keenly watched by fans who remember them from Easter Road.

English Talent on Show Too

The interest is not confined to north of the border. England supporters will have reason to tune in as well, with Djed Spence and John Stones both having joined champions Inter Milan during the summer window. AC Milan can call upon Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, two players who have earned England caps in recent years, while Harry Winks — a former Tottenham and Leicester man — has taken up a new challenge with Cagliari.

It is a broader British footprint in Serie A than many might have anticipated, and the BBC's decision to dedicate 38 live broadcast slots to the competition is a recognition of that growing audience interest. Free-to-air access to top-level continental football has long been something supporters have campaigned for, and while the single-match-per-round format is necessarily selective, it nonetheless gives casual and committed viewers alike a consistent window into one of Europe's most storied leagues.

The market will no doubt be watching how the arrangement develops across the season. For now, though, attention turns to Bergamo on Sunday evening, where Atalanta — themselves fresh from European adventures in recent campaigns — provide an atmospheric and testing opening backdrop for the BBC's new Serie A chapter.

Frequently asked

Where can I watch Serie A live on the BBC?
BBC Sport is streaming 19 Serie A matches live on BBC iPlayer this season, while BBC ALBA is broadcasting a further 19 games with Gaelic and English co-commentary. Both platforms are free to access in the UK.
What time does Atalanta v Sassuolo kick off on Sunday?
The first BBC Serie A broadcast — Atalanta v Sassuolo — is available on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer from 19:35 BST on Sunday.
Which British players are in Serie A this season?
Among the British players in Serie A this season are Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Che Adams (Torino), Lennon Miller (Udinese), John Stones and Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), Harry Winks (Cagliari), and former Hibernian pair Kieron Bowie and Josh Doig (Sassuolo).