Premier Sports and RTÉ Retain Champions League Rights to 2031
Premier Sports and RTÉ have kept their Champions League rights in the Republic of Ireland to 2031, locking in the same two broadcasters for the competition’s key live windows. The deal covers the 2027-2031 seasons and leaves Sky with co-exclusive rights to the rest of the fixtures.
Premier Sports will keep first-choice live rights for Tuesday night matches and RTÉ will take first-choice rights for Wednesday night games. Both will also hold highlights rights, while the Champions League final will remain co-exclusive across the four-year deal.
Ryle Nugent on Premier Sports
Ryle Nugent, chief executive of Premier Sports, said: “We are delighted to secure a four-year extension of our Uefa Champions League rights, ensuring Premier Sports remains the destination for Irish football fans.”
He added: “Our first-choice Tuesday night fixtures have become an essential ‘appointment to view’ for fans, and we look forward to elevating our coverage even further as we bring the drama and prestige of this competition to our audiences through to 2031.”
Sky and the wider auction
Uefa auctioned Champions League broadcast packages for 19 television markets covering the 2027-2031 seasons, including the Republic of Ireland and 18 other television markets. Sky secured co-exclusive rights to all remaining Champions League fixtures, plus exclusive rights to Europa League and Conference League matches.
Those Europa League and Conference League rights had previously been held by Virgin Media and Premier Sports in the Republic of Ireland. The auction also reached Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Central America, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South America, Sweden and Switzerland.
Disney+ also picked up rights in a number of markets, after last year acquiring the Women’s Champions League and La Liga. In Sweden, it secured exclusive broadcast rights for all Uefa men’s club competitions, and in Denmark it took exclusive Europa League and Conference League rights.
The Irish deal now gives Premier Sports and RTÉ the Champions League through 2031, with Tuesday and Wednesday first-pick games staying on familiar platforms. For viewers in the Republic of Ireland, the split is set for the full four-year cycle: Premier Sports on Tuesdays, RTÉ on Wednesdays, and Sky carrying the rest.
