BBC Scotland confirms World’s Friday live-stream as event returns after two-year hiatus

BBC Scotland has confirmed that the Friday Grade 1 events of the World Pipe Band Championships will once again be live-streamed.

Britain’s public broadcaster confirmed to pipes|drums that the live Internet broadcast will happen once again, even though the Grade 1 competition promises to be 14 bands, with only four groups not from the UK or Ireland.

Further details on whether the broadcaster will stay with the usual host, BBC personality Jackie Bird, or if the colour commentary will open up to other voices.

Grade 1 bands expected to compete in the competition:

• 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)
• St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
• St. Thomas Alumni (USA)

Inveraray & District is the defending World Champion having won the 2019 event, the last time it was held due to two years of cancellations because of the pandemic. City of Dunedin, Closkelt, and St. Thomas Alumni will each make debuts as Grade 1 bands at the World’s.

Only the day before, the Northern Meeting at Inverness, Scotland, confirmed that it would live-stream its Gold Medal and Silver Star competitions as a £15 pay-per-view.

The BBC is funded by British taxpayers and, as a public broadcaster, is not permitted to accept payment for or advertising in 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.