BBC deal puts North Wales football clubs in the spotlight

North Wales football fans will have more opportunities to watch their local clubs in action after the BBC Cymru Wales agreed a new three-year deal with the Football Association of Wales to broadcast live Cymru Premier matches.

The agreement will see at least 20 games from Wales' top flight shown live on BBC iPlayer every season until 2029, with extensive coverage also available through BBC Sport Online.

And there is an immediate North Wales interest, with Connah's Quay Nomads featuring in the second match selected for broadcast.

The Nomads will travel to Ammanford on Saturday, August 22, for a 12.30pm kick-off, with the game available to watch live on BBC iPlayer.

The new-look Cymru Premier has a particularly strong North Wales presence this season, with Llandudno, Caernarfon Town, Holywell Town and Airbus UK Broughton among the clubs competing in the expanded 16-team league.

Llandudno's promotion marks a return to the top flight, while Holywell Town and Airbus UK Broughton are also part of the revamped competition after winning promotion.

Caernarfon Town remain among the established North Wales representatives and have already featured prominently in the early-season action.

The first BBC iPlayer match of the new deal will be Barry Town United against Cardiff Met on Saturday, August 15, at 12.30pm, with both sides having won their opening two games of the season.

The Cymru Premier has been revamped for its 35th edition, with the number of clubs increasing from 12 to 16 and the majority of fixtures moving to Friday evenings.

The new broadcasting agreement will also double the number of free live Cymru Premier matches compared with last season.

For North Wales supporters, that could mean a much bigger national audience for some of the region's best-known clubs – and the chance to see more local derbies and Cymru Premier action without needing a subscription.

The BBC's selected fixtures will complement the FAW's Cymru Football TV service, which continues to offer supporters access to every Cymru Premier match.

With four North Wales clubs now competing in the expanded top flight, the new deal could give the region an important platform as the domestic game looks to attract new supporters and build its profile.