EFL and SPFL move to block illegal Russian broadcasts of league matches

The English Football League and the Scottish Professional Football League have opened inquiries after learning that Football TV, a Russian subscription platform, has been transmitting live matches from both competitions this season. Rights for the EFL were halted in March 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the SPFL stopped selling packages to the country at the same time, meaning the current footage appears to be pirated.

The EFL reported that games including Cardiff’s draw with Wrexham and Watford’s win over Southampton were broadcast, and Football TV also aired West Ham v Charlton and West Brom v Burnley as test events, raising fears of further illegal Premier League content. Scottish Premiership fixtures featuring Celtic, Rangers and Hearts have similarly been promoted on the service’s Telegram channel. Both leagues are working to identify how the unauthorized streams are being supplied and have indicated they may take legal steps against Football TV and any parties providing the content. An SPFL source said the investigation is being conducted with its rights distributor Infront, while the leagues declined further comment.