The FAI and the League of Ireland is delighted to announce that Virgin Media Television will broadcast its first ever SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixture next Friday when Bohemians face rivals Shamrock Rovers at a sold out Dalymount Park.
The FAI and the League of Ireland is delighted to announce that Virgin Media Television will broadcast its first ever SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixture next Friday when Bohemians face rivals Shamrock Rovers at a sold out Dalymount Park.
The broadcast on Virgin Media Two, which will supplement RTÉ’s live coverage of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division in 2023 will be the first League of Ireland game shown live on Virgin Media Television.
It comes on the back of multiple sold-out games across the League of Ireland in 2023 and demand for more high-profile fixtures to be broadcast such as the Dublin Derby between table-toppers Bohemians and defending Champions Shamrock Rovers.
For the first time, League of Ireland football in 2023 will now be broadcast on three free-to-air platforms alongside TG4’s live coverage of the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division and RTÉ’s coverage of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division.
With the title race already shaping up to be one of the best in recent history, this broadcast will help deliver the incredible action to an even bigger audience. Live coverage will begin at 19:30 on Virgin Media Two with kick-off at 19:45.
League of Ireland Director, Mark Scanlon, said: “We are delighted to announce this broadcast with Virgin Media TV to add to the coverage provided by our current partners RTÉ and TG4. With increased crowds and a great start to the season, it is important that as many people as possible get the opportunity to see live LOI football and Virgin Media’s coverage of such a big fixture will help us engage more fans than ever before.”
FAI Commercial Director, Sean Kavanagh said: “We are delighted that Virgin TV has decided to trial coverage of the LOI via this one-off game and we are hopeful this will lead to a wider commercial deal moving forward. Either way we are delighted that another major broadcast partner is expressing a proactive interest in the League of Ireland competition, and this augurs well for our future strategic plans for the League.”
Virgin Media Television, Head of News and Sport, Mick McCaffrey, said: “We are delighted to be broadcasting our first ever SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixture and you couldn’t choose a more exciting one than Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers. The league has never been more popular as evidenced by the amount of fans attending matches every week and we are really looking forward to bringing our viewers such a top-class game on Good Friday.”
SSE Airtricity Interim Head of Brand, Advertising & Sponsorship, Ashley Morrow, said: “We’re a proud supporter of all three League of Ireland Divisions, so we’re always actively looking for opportunities with our partners at the FAI to bring the excitement of the games to more audiences. Supporting Virgin Media’s live coverage of the Bohemians v Shamrock game provides a great opportunity for even more fans to enjoy the game next weekend and to demonstrate the strength of the league.”
