Virgin Media Ireland, TV3 and RTE have between them secured the rights to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches for the next three years.
In a reverse of the current schedule, RTE will now have first pick of Tuesday night Champions League fixtures, with TV3 getting first choice on Wednesday.
Ryle Nugent, RTÉ Group Head of Sport said: “This is a truly positive result for RTÉ, the Irish audience and public service broadcasting. “The sports rights market continues to evolve and RTÉ is now competing against major international companies both here and in the UK, both free and subscription, for the right to broadcast premium sports events in this country.”
327 European matches per season from both competitions will be screened on Virgin Media Ireland and its TV3 channel.
Pat Kiely, Managing Director of TV3 said: “The UEFA Champions League is the biggest and most prestigious club competition in the world and we are delighted to extend our partnership with UEFA for both the Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. This landmark deal confirms Virgin Media as Ireland’s leading connected entertainment business and is great news for TV3 viewers and Virgin Media Customers.”
The deal, which comes into effect in August this year, also includes exclusive rights to all UEFA Champions League final round qualifiers, the Super Cup and all highlights rights to both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for the next three years.