BBC Scotland confirms Saturday World Pipe Band Championships live-stream
When BBC Scotland confirmed on July 1st that it would live-stream the first round of Grade 1 performances on the Friday of the World Pipe Band Championships, Britain’s public broadcaster could not say whether the Saturday would also be broadcast.
The assumption is now reality as the network confirmed that both days will be live-streamed.
“BBC Scotland are delighted to return to the World Pipe Band Championships in 2022 from Glasgow Green, presented by Jackie Bird,” said a spokesperson from BBC Scotland’s media relations department. “The event will be live-streamed, and available worldwide on Saturday 13th August from 10:45 am (GMT) at bbc.co.uk/worlds.” (The URL will be live closer to the date.)
The Grade 1 competition will feature 14 bands:
- 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)
- City of Dunedin (USA)
- Closkelt (Northern Ireland)
- Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)
- Inveraray & District (Scotland)
- Johnstone (Scotland)
- Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)
- Police Scotland & Federation (Scotland)
- Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)
- ScottishPower (Scotland)
- Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)
- Simon Fraser University (Canada)
- Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
- Thomas Alumni (USA)
Orders-of-play were announced last week by the RSPBA, each band performing a medley and MSR of their own choice on Friday, then their other medley and MSR on Saturday.
The Grade 1 events will be the only ones contested on August 12th. August 13th will see those 14 groups joined by some 132 bands competing in all other grades.
Entries have declined since the World Championships were last held in 2019, with bands not from the UK or Ireland electing not to make the trip, many looking towards a return in 2023.
The BBC is funded by British taxpayers and, as a public broadcaster, is not permitted to accept payment for, or advertising within, its broadcasts.
Bands have not been compensated in the past for their broadcasted live-stream performances, and it is not known whether that will change in 2022.
Writing in from North Carolina, United States, with this question: how might we who are overseas be able to Watch BBC Scotland for the finals? Is there a subscription, or no possibility at all? Please inform as to the possibilities. I cannot attend, but I want to support these delightful and awesome endeavors. Thank you