Virgin Media Television have confirmed an exclusive four-year deal to televise matches from each round of the League of Ireland men’s Premier Division.
RTÉ Sport recently flagged their intention to continue to occasionally cover domestic soccer but Virgin and the FAI agreed an exclusive package with 36 matches per season, guaranteeing one live fixture in every round for the first time.
RTÉ and Virgin can still apply to show the FAI Cup and Irish clubs in European action. The national broadcaster declined to comment on future plans but talks with the FAI remain ongoing.
Premier Division champions Shelbourne launch their title defence against Derry City at Tolka Park on Friday, February 14th with Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers expecting at least 25,000 at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, February 16th.
Virgin will reveal on Wednesday what matches will be shown live in the opening weeks of the campaign.
“This agreement represents a historic moment for the League of Ireland as Virgin Media Television’s exclusive coverage of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division will see every round covered for the first time,” said Mark Scanlon, the FAI’s League of Ireland director.
“Consistency of coverage in order to follow the stories throughout the season is something that we have always wanted in the League of Ireland and we are delighted that this partnership will ensure that the league has a presence on free-to-air television all year round.
“We have been delighted to work with Virgin Media Television since they began their partnership with us in 2023 and their enthusiasm and excellent coverage has been extremely encouraging bringing new audiences to the League of Ireland. We look forward to the next stage of this partnership which will help propel the league to the next level.”
Virgin will enhance the established LOITV coverage of every league game by supplying extra cameras for live broadcasts alongside Tommy Martin and Brian Kerr in studio.
“For the first time ever, supporters will have free-to-air coverage of the biggest and best game each Friday of the season along with the goals from every other game,” said Mick McCaffrey, Virgin Media Television’s director of news and sport. “We are excited to bring greater exposure to the league and play our part in increasing grassroots participation in communities throughout the country.”
Sean Kavanagh, FAI commercial director, added: “Having the consistency of live broadcasts for every round will be crucial in building the level of coverage needed for the League of Ireland.”
In December, Premier Sports agreed to launch the LOITV platform on its app for €99 a season, making it accessible on Apple and Android apps as well as desktop, Chromecast and AirPlay.
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