January 2026
How NIFL Launched Its First League-Operated OTT Platform in Just Two Weeks
The Northern Ireland Football League delivered four live matches on 2025 Boxing Day using Motto's streaming platform, achieving global reach with zero upfront costs.
Overview
On Boxing Day, one of the most demanding matchdays in the football calendar, the Northern Ireland Football League delivered four live matches using a league-operated streaming model for the first time.
In parallel, the league launched NIFL TV, a new OTT platform. Despite both the platform and workflows being new, the setup was completed within weeks by starting with a limited operational scope and without complex infrastructure decisions or upfront capital expenditure.
All matches were delivered reliably and without incident, demonstrating that league-operated OTT and live streaming can be implemented quickly and safely, even under peak matchday conditions.
Context & Objective
The Northern Ireland Football League set out to take greater operational control over its digital distribution by delivering its own live match streams and launching a new OTT platform.
Boxing Day was selected as the first operational test. As one of the busiest and most demanding fixtures in the football calendar, it presented a high-pressure environment with heightened expectations from fans, clubs, and stakeholders.
The objective was to deliver reliable live coverage across multiple fixtures using newly deployed, league-operated workflows, without reliance on a broadcaster or legacy service provider.
Being able to deliver four live matches on Boxing Day, one of our busiest fixtures, was a significant milestone. The fact that we could set this up in just two weeks and launch without any technical issues gave us confidence that league-operated streaming is not only possible, but can be implemented quickly and reliably.
DK
David Kerr
NIFL Digital Operations Manager
The Challenge
Boxing Day fixtures represent one of the most demanding operational environments in football, with heightened expectations from fans, clubs, and stakeholders.
For the Northern Ireland Football League, this delivery also represented a first: operating its own live streaming workflows and a newly launched OTT platform. Any technical failure would have been immediately visible and reputationally damaging.
To manage this risk, the league deliberately limited the initial scope of the project to the essential components required for live match delivery. This approach allowed the league to focus on operational reliability while avoiding unnecessary complexity during its first step into direct-to-consumer distribution.
Why Operational Control Mattered
Operating its own live streaming and OTT platform allowed the league to take direct responsibility for delivery while keeping the initial setup deliberately simple.
Rather than replacing existing broadcast arrangements or committing to a long-term transformation, the league focused on establishing a reliable operational foundation it could build on over time.
By retaining control over production, distribution, and platform workflows, the league gained flexibility in how and when to expand its direct-to-consumer offering, without being dependent on third-party providers or complex contractual structures.
This approach enabled the league to start small, reduce risk, and create a clear path toward future digital growth.
The Motto Solution & Delivery
Motto provided an end-to-end OTT and live streaming platform designed to allow leagues to start small and go live quickly, while retaining the ability to scale over time.
For the Northern Ireland Football League, the initial setup focused on the essential components required for live match delivery and a basic OTT environment. This approach avoided complex infrastructure decisions and enabled rapid deployment without upfront capital expenditure.
Through careful planning and the use of Motto's existing platform capabilities, the OTT platform and live streaming workflows were prepared within 2 weeks.
On Boxing Day, all four matches were delivered reliably and without incident, marking the league's first successful operation of its own OTT and live streaming environment.
Why This Matters Now
Across European football, leagues and federations are increasingly reassessing how their content is distributed and controlled. Recent launches of league-operated OTT platforms, alongside changes to traditional broadcast arrangements, reflect a broader shift toward greater operational independence.
This case demonstrates that starting a direct-to-consumer journey does not require a large-scale transformation. With a limited initial scope and the right infrastructure, leagues can launch reliable OTT and live streaming operations quickly and expand them over time.
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