Virgin Media Television have confirmed a 4 year deal with the League of Ireland to be the exclusive broadcasters of the League of Ireland Premier Division.
Monday morning saw the announcement of a landmark exclusive 4 year broadcasting deal where Virgin Media will broadcast 36 LOI Premier Division games a season, 1 every match week.
This deal means national broadcaster RTÉ loose the rights to show Premier Division games for next 4 years, which for many LOI fans will be seen as good news. For several years RTÉ have under valued, under appreciated and under used a product of Irish sport that has become more and more in demand.
2024 was a record breaking season for the League of Ireland, with average TV viewership increasing by 42% compared to 2023. It’s incredibly likely these figures significantly increase yet again, with Virgin Media bringing consistent coverage of the Premier Division, something we have never seen before.
League of Ireland director, Mark Scanlon had this to say regarding the new broadcasting deal.
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.
The first broadcast selections will be announced on Wednesday the 29th of January with the new league season beginning on Friday the 14th of February.