Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

Guide to sport on television (Monday–Sunday, December 26th-January 1st)

Leopardstown Races

The four-day Christmas Festival at Leopardstown begins on St Stephen’s Day. RTÉ – with Hugh Cahill, Richard Pugh, Brian Gleeson and Katie Walsh - will broadcast live coverage each day. Highlights of the National Hunt racing festival include the Paddy Power Steeplechase, Savills Chase and Matheson Hurdle. - Monday-Thursday, RTE & ITV4

Barcelona v Espanyol

Two clubs based just a few kilometres from each other – but there the similarities end. One is currently top of the La Liga table, the other hoping to avoid relegation. But there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs, not helped by Barcelona’s announcement earlier this month (later backtracked) that they would ban any Espanyol fans wearing a club shirt or emblem from entering Camp Nou. - New Year’s Eve, Premier Sports & LaLigaTV

Ulster v Munster

Two clubs that could do with starting 2023 on a positive note. The reverse victory, last October, ended in a one-point victory for the away side in Thomond Park. Ulster are currently in a strong position in the URC table, with Munster still trying to make up ground after a poor start to the season. It will be games like this that define both sides’ seasons. - New Year’s Day, TG4 & Premier Sports 1

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MONDAY (St Stephen’s Day)

  • NBA - Sky Sports Mix - 1am Grizzlies @ Warriors; 3.30am Suns @ Nuggets
  • NFL - Sky Sports NFL - 1.20am Buccaneers @ Cardinals
  • CRICKET - Sky Sports Cricket from 4.50am - 1st Test, D1 Pakistan v New Zealand
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football Red Button – Noon C: Watford v Millwall; 3pm Bristol City v West Brom; 3pm Preston NE v Huddersfield Town; 3pm Sheffield Utd v Coventry City
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football & Showcase - 12.30pm C: Sunderland v Blackburn
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 – 12.30pm PL: Brentford v Tottenham; 3pm Leicester v Newcastle; 5.30pm Aston Villa v Liverpool; 8pm Arsenal v West Ham Utd
  • HORSE RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.30pm-3pm Kempton Park
  • HORSE RACING - RTE 2, 1pm-3.15pm Leopardstown
  • SOCCER - BBC 2 - 2pm IP: Glentoran v Linfield
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 2 - 3pm PL: Everton v Wolverhampton
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - 5.15pm C: Cardiff City v QPR; 7.45pm Luton Town v Norwich City
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 2 - 5.15pm URC: Ospreys v Scarlets
  • RUGBY - TG4 & Premier Sports 2 - 7.35pm URC: Munster v Leinster
  • SOCCER - BBC 1, 11.20pm-0.45am Match of the Day
  • CRICKET - BT Sport 2 from 11.30pm - 2nd Test, D2 Australia v South Africa
  • NBA - Sky Sports Mix - Midnight Nets @ Cavaliers

TUESDAY (Dec 27th)

  • NFL - Sky Sports NFL - 1.15am Chargers @ Colts
  • CRICKET - Sky Sports Cricket from 4.50am - 1st Test, D2 Pakistan v New Zealand
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, noon-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm PDC World Championship
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - 12.30pm L1: Leyton Orient v Stevenage; 3pm Bolton v Derby County
  • HORSE RACING - RTE 2, 1pm-3.25pm Leopardstown
  • RUGBY – UTV - 4.15pm EP: Harlequins v Bristol
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - 5.15pm C: Reading v Swansea City; 8pm Burnley v Birmingham City
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 - 5.30pm PL: Chelsea v Bournemouth; 8pm Man Utd v Nottingham Forest
  • CRICKET - BT Sport 2 from 11.30pm - 2nd Test, D3 Australia v South Africa

WEDNESDAY (Dec 28th)

  • CRICKET - Sky Sports Cricket from 4.50am - 1st Test, D3 Pakistan v New Zealand
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm PDC World Championship
  • HORSE RACING - RTE 2, 1pm-3.20pm; ITV4, 12.40pm-3.30pm Leopardstown
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 1 - 2pm L1: Troyes v Nantes; 4pm Auxerre v Monaco; 6pm Clermont v Lille; 8pm PSG v Strasbourg
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 4 - 8pm L1: Brest v Lyon
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 - 8pm PL: Leeds Utd v Man City
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - 8pm SP: Hibernian v Celtic
  • CRICKET - BT Sport 1 from 11.30pm - 2nd Test, D4 Australia v South Africa

THURSDAY (Dec 29th)

  • CRICKET - Sky Sports Cricket from 4.50am - 1st Test, D4 Pakistan v New Zealand
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm PDC World Championship
  • HORSE RACING - RTE 2, 1pm-3.20pm; ITV4, 12.40pm-3.30pm Leopardstown
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 1 - 4pm L1: Lorient v Montpellier; 6pm Reims v Rennes; 8pm Marseille v Toulouse
  • SOCCER - LaLigaTV & Premier Sports - 4pm LL: Girona v Rayo Vallecano; 6.15pm Real Betis v Athletic Bilbao; 8.30pm Atlético Madrid v Elche
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - 6pm C: QPR v Luton Town; 8.15pm Blackpool v Sheffield Utd
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football Red Button - 7.45pm C: Blackburn v Middlesbrough; 7.45pm Coventry v Cardiff; 7.45pm Huddersfield v Rotherham; 7.45pm Millwall v Bristol City; 7.45pm Wigan v Sunderland; 8pm West Brom v Preston NE
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 4 - 8pm L1: Nice v Lens
  • CRICKET - BT Sport 1 from 11.30pm - 2nd Test, D5 Australia v South Africa

FRIDAY (Dec 30th)

  • NFL - Sky Sports NFL - 1.15am Cowboys @ Titans
  • CRICKET - Sky Sports Cricket from 4.50am - 1st Test, D5 Pakistan v New Zealand
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm PDC World Championship
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 & LaLigaTV - 4pm LL: Getafe v Mallorca; 8.30pm Real Valladolid v Real Madrid
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV - 6.15pm LL: Cádiz v Almería
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 2 - 7.35pm URC: Edinburgh v Glasgow
  • RUGBY - BT Sport 1 - 7.45pm EP: Sale v Leicester
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football Red Button - 7.45pm C: Birmingham City v Hull City; 7.45pm Norwich City v Reading; 7.45pm Stoke City v Burnley; 7.45pm Swansea City v Watford
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Premier League - 8pm PL: Liverpool v Leicester City

SATURDAY (New Year’s Eve)

  • NBA - Sky Sports Mix - 0.30am Lakers @ Hawks
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm PDC World Championship
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 1 - 12.30pm PL: Wolves v Man Utd
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 & LaLigaTV - 1pm LL: Barcelona v Espanyol
  • RUGBY - TG4 - 2.45pm URC: Sharks v Bulls
  • SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 - 3pm PL: Man City v Everton
  • RUGBY - BT Sport 2 - 3pm EP: Saracens v Exeter
  • SOCCER – LaLigaTV - 3.15pm LL: Real Sociedad v Osasuna; 3.15pm Villarreal v Valencia
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 1 - 5pm URC: Stormers v Lions
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Premier League - 5.30pm PL: Brighton v Arsenal
  • NBA - Sky Sports Mix - 8pm Clippers @ Pacers; Midnight Cavaliers @ Bulls
  • MMA - BBC Three from 9pm Patricio Pitbull v Kleber Koike
  • SOCCER - BBC 2, 10pm-11.30pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (New Year’s Day)

  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - Noon C: Blackburn v Cardiff
  • DARTS - Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7.30pm-11.30pm PDC World Championship
  • RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 1pm-3.30pm Cheltenham
  • SOCCER - Sky Sports Premier League - 2pm PL: Tottenham v Aston Villa; 4.30pm Nottingham Forest v Chelsea
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 2 - 2pm L1: Monaco v Brest; 4pm Lyon v Clermont
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 1 - 3pm URC: Cardiff v Ospreys
  • RUGBY - BT Sport 1 - 3pm EP: Northampton v Harlequins
  • RUGBY - TG4 & Premier Sports 1 - 5.15pm URC: Ulster v Munster
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 2 - 5.15pm URC: Scarlets v Dragons
  • RUGBY - RTE 2 & Premier Sports 1 - 7.35pm URC: Leinster v Connacht
  • NFL - Sky Sports NFL - 6pm Dolphins @ Patriots; 9.25pm Vikings @ Packers; 1.20am Steelers @ Ravens
  • SOCCER - BT Sport 1 - 7.45pm L1: Lens v PSG
  • RUGBY - Premier Sports 2 - 8pm T14: Clermont v Toulouse
  • SOCCER - BBC 1, 10.50pm-11.45pm Match of the Day 2
  • NBA - Sky Sports Mix - 1am Celtics @ Nuggets
Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen is Health & Family Editor of The Irish Times