SKY SPORTS AND Setanta Sports have both announced some important news today for sports fans in Ireland — particularly those interested in the English Premier League.
For the first time in their history, Sky will be bringing Friday evening and Saturday afternoon (3pm) kick-offs to the Irish market, while Setanta have extended the exclusive deal which will allow them to bring BT Sport channels to Irish viewers.
Setanta previously owned the rights to 3pm kick-offs in Ireland, while Friday night games will be a new departure for the Premier League.
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Sky Sports has been awarded six packs of live rights to the Premier League in Ireland, which will see them broadcast up to 159 Premier League matches a season to be screened exclusively live in the Republic of Ireland from 2016/17 to 2018/19.
With up to 33 matches to be shown at 3pm on Saturdays for the first time on Sky Sports in Ireland, customers in the Republic of Ireland will see an increase of 43 live matches per season compared to the current season.
A Sky Sports press release said: “With up to four times as many live matches as any other broadcaster, football fans in Ireland will be able to rely on Sky Sports for the top match picks throughout the season across four days of the weekend, including matches on Friday evenings for the first time.
“Five of the packs secured within the new deal will mirror the UK rights won by Sky Sports earlier this year for 126 matches, while the Saturday 3pm matches are solely for Ireland audiences and cannot be broadcast in the UK.”
Meanwhile, Setanta Sports have secured the rights to BT Sport content in the Republic of Ireland in a new, multi-year agreement., which includes BT Sport 1 HD, BT Sport 2 HD, ESPN on BT Sport HD and the new BT Sport Europe HD channel, in addition to the Setanta Ireland and Setanta 1 channels.
BT Sport ambassadors Brian O'Driscoll and Rio Ferdinand. David Maher / SPORTSFILE
David Maher / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE
According to a press release from Setanta Sports: “These channels bring a huge range of live football including every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League game, live FA Cup, live Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and most importantly for Irish fans, from August 2016, BT Sport will have 42 exclusively live Premier League games, including the 28 Saturday 5.30pm games.
“BT Sport have continued to grow their portfolio of sport beyond soccer which also includes 35 live European Rugby Champions Cup games, 69 Aviva Premiership Rugby games, all the big live UFC events, Moto GP and the best in live US sports.”
Two significant broadcast deals have been confirmed for Irish sports fans
SKY SPORTS AND Setanta Sports have both announced some important news today for sports fans in Ireland — particularly those interested in the English Premier League.
For the first time in their history, Sky will be bringing Friday evening and Saturday afternoon (3pm) kick-offs to the Irish market, while Setanta have extended the exclusive deal which will allow them to bring BT Sport channels to Irish viewers.
Setanta previously owned the rights to 3pm kick-offs in Ireland, while Friday night games will be a new departure for the Premier League.
Sky Sports has been awarded six packs of live rights to the Premier League in Ireland, which will see them broadcast up to 159 Premier League matches a season to be screened exclusively live in the Republic of Ireland from 2016/17 to 2018/19.
With up to 33 matches to be shown at 3pm on Saturdays for the first time on Sky Sports in Ireland, customers in the Republic of Ireland will see an increase of 43 live matches per season compared to the current season.
A Sky Sports press release said: “With up to four times as many live matches as any other broadcaster, football fans in Ireland will be able to rely on Sky Sports for the top match picks throughout the season across four days of the weekend, including matches on Friday evenings for the first time.
“Five of the packs secured within the new deal will mirror the UK rights won by Sky Sports earlier this year for 126 matches, while the Saturday 3pm matches are solely for Ireland audiences and cannot be broadcast in the UK.”
Meanwhile, Setanta Sports have secured the rights to BT Sport content in the Republic of Ireland in a new, multi-year agreement., which includes BT Sport 1 HD, BT Sport 2 HD, ESPN on BT Sport HD and the new BT Sport Europe HD channel, in addition to the Setanta Ireland and Setanta 1 channels.
According to a press release from Setanta Sports: “These channels bring a huge range of live football including every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League game, live FA Cup, live Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and most importantly for Irish fans, from August 2016, BT Sport will have 42 exclusively live Premier League games, including the 28 Saturday 5.30pm games.
“BT Sport have continued to grow their portfolio of sport beyond soccer which also includes 35 live European Rugby Champions Cup games, 69 Aviva Premiership Rugby games, all the big live UFC events, Moto GP and the best in live US sports.”
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