I'm not advocating a separate thread, but it can quite tiresome at times reading through posts describing stuff 90% of the people on here have no access to or interest in.

One of my best mates is Irish, and it's a never ending topic of conversation between us. In Ireland you have access to British TV, you all seemingly follow an English football team and in alot of ways (in a media sense) our nations are joined together. Yet at the same time he (like some on here) complains that you're prevented from having the same PL rights as every other nation outside of the UK.

In a football sense Ireland is not a foreign country, it is part of the group of nations deeply enmeshed in English football.

Every Irish player worth his salt comes to play here, they all follow the English game, they all follow an English club, and alot of Irish people travel to watch games. Ireland's relationship to English football is not a foreign one in loads of ways. Yet Irish people then moan that they are stuck in some British style TV deal, oblivious to all of the reasons why that's the case.

Speaking from a personal point of view - as for some reason you're addressing me personally - I watch all my football through European services (when I'm not at the game). But I do admit to an anoraky interest in how the PL is broadcast not just in the British Isles but all over the world.

I skip over posts (as best I can) that I have no interest in and not everybody on these boards has access to all the UK services mentioned in this thread either, to be fair. I won't presume that those people have no interest in reading about the PL broadcasts on those channels though
Anyway, let's face it, it's not as if the Irish-related broadcast stuff inundates the thread

I also think you're making the mistake of assuming every person over in Ireland
thinks the same way as your mate The general argument there is the same as the general argument here; for the most part people want to see the team they support televised. The arguments about the restrictive nature of the broadcast deal in Ireland also, for the most part, apply in the UK. I'm sure people in Northern Ireland and Scotland also wonder why they are as restricted, in a broadcasting sense (blackout hours notwithstanding).

The thread is entitled "Premier League on TV". A fair number of visitors to the forum are Irish-based. It would be strange to have a separate thread considering that there is just one game extra broadcast whilst all the other games are on the exact same channels in the UK.

I simply used your quote so that I didn't go off on a ftakeith rant without any context! No, I understand the points you make perfectly well, and I understand the gripes people in the UK have as well. I speak to a fair few people in Ireland and I get a very consistent vibe from them about English football and British broadcasting in general.

However, I did say that I'm not advocating any kind of separate thread either, because as I tried to explain, in a broadcasting and greater media sense I don't consider Ireland to be 'foreign' from the UK because there are so many tangible connections in terms of interests, access to services and movement of people between the two countries.

My point was that people in Ireland do not treat certain parts of the UK media as 'foreign', much like this forum which is UK based but is perfectly logical for Irish based people to contribute to because the media overlaps massively. But then Irish based people complain that 'as a foreign nation' they don't get every PL game live like in the USA and other countries. It's inconsistent.

OMG I wouldn't accuse anyone of going on a ftakeith rant; I hope you didn't think I was on one either

The "addressing me personally" was this really:-

I think for the most part we are agreed so I suppose the only point up for debate is the broadcast rights situation. Many Irish people know, and understand, that the rights deal in Ireland is mirrored by the deals in the UK and it is perhaps advantageous.

Others, as you say, don't see it like that. People in Northern Ireland and Scotland might also ask the exact same questions that those in the Irish Republic do - and I certainly personally know of some who have.

I personally believe that it wouldn't do Ireland any favours to offer all the remaining games separately in Ireland. That would grossly devalue the existing Irish rights packages for Sky and BT (Eir?) and might lead to a separation of services to the detriment of the Irish broadcast landscape.

On the other hand, applying quotas to the already existing, and previously free of restrictions, Irish 3pm package did affect Irish viewers adversely and it is this, in particular, that has led to the huge rise in complaints. There is no restriction on any other broadcaster worldwide that has the exclusive 3pm games. However, Irish viewers are, in many cases, denied a match featuring a team(s) with a good support base there whilst the game being shown is of minimal interest, at best.

Absolutely no need for a separate thread in my opinion.

Was that your opinion before, or after, you read my latest long-winded post about the situation in Ireland

Unfortunately, the person who advocated it gave no reasons and now the thread has - ironically - become derailed with discussion about whether it should or shouldn't happen.

Of course it's become derailed, we're all waiting for these fixtures to finally be announced and twiddling our thumbs arguing over this stuff instead!

Fair point

Well if the PL could only publish the long overdue TV fixtures

We would finally have something else to talk about rather than Irish only exclusive or non exclusive programmes

The Irish 3pms will also be announced shortly afterwards

Ha Ha

Football League games announced by Sky

It is fair to assume they will NOT have a Friday PL game On

Fri 14th Oct: Cardiff City v Bristol City - 19.45
Fri 21st Oct: Burton Albion v Birmingham City - 19.45
Fri 28th Oct: Queens Park Rangers v Brentford - 19.45
Fri 4th Nov: Brentford v Fulham - 19.45
Fri 18th Nov: Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa - 19.45
Fri 25th Nov: Barnsley v Nottingham Forest - 19.45


And there will be NO 1330 game on Sky On
Sun 20th Nov: Leeds United v Newcastle United - 13.15

Also, Wolves v Derby Sat 5 Nov 12:30 suggests no Sky PL game, so possibly a BT double header that day.

Hard for Sky to select FNF in Oct/ Nov as often teams in CL the week before, or after an international break.

Good spot Judio- I suspect on the 20/11 Sky will have Man Utd V Arsenal at 12.30 on Sat, then Southampton V Liverpool at 4pm on Sun.

The other spot is no Sky 12.30 game on 5th Nov. Endless reasons possible. BT may show NLD there (and show/not show a 5.30 game) or more likely Sky have picked West Ham, Man Utd or Southampton at 12.30 and will need it to move. I think Sky may have gone Swansea V Man Utd (and used this as an excuse to get it to a Sun slot- perhaps even at 4pm) but that would put Sky on 4 Man Utd pack A games already, although I suspect some later 1330 Sun picks could move later on the season before CL weeks if required.

Or Sky simply passed that Sat...

I suppose it does become more complex if you take the FL fixtures and the PL fixtures together. If Sky pass a PL 1st pick to BT, and BT take it then Sky will look at what FL games they can show in the same slot at 1730 Sat. So, I'm surprised they've done it this way around. I would assume the FL picks would be made with knowledge of the PL picks, so that Sky can fill some gaps and stick some bigger FL games on against the big BT PL games.

Another interesting thing is the fact that Sky are not going to use any more Friday night PL slots until at least December. Yes, it is a tough stretch with CL/EL group games, but it looks like they are saving them for the time being and saving them for bigger teams. It would have been easier for them to select some non CL/EL teams, but they haven't.

The 5th Nov is an FA Cup 1st round day

I cant believe BT will have extra PL games on that weekend ??

Not sure this confirms that Fridays are off limits following internationals, but it does feel like that. I think they'll have to drop that if they are to have a Friday package in the next set of rights.

The next set are 3 years away

By then the Clubs will probably have banned Internationals !!!

Premier League Highlights is the name of the show 9-10pm.

Thanks, I wondered whether it was one of those existing magazine programmes.

Actually we're only 18 months away from the auction. 🤑

Most Irish people still don't understand live Sport TV rights
They also don't know that can get 90% of the normalTV they watch for free.
They also don't know they can get live pay tv sports cheaper than the standard pay tv.

The European TV package you are paying for your pay TV sport is more expensive than what I am paying for the same content

Over 4 million people there, you've spoken to them all then?


Relevance? Please? For the 2 millionth time...


I haven't named it, so you know this: precisely how?

I am interested in particular content.

Neither UK TV package can give me close to 100% of it (even both sports packages combined don't do the job and I would need both packages to get anywhere near 100%); so, respectfully, you have no clue about what you are talking.

Friday night Football continued
Looks like there will be one on Fri Sep 30th

Swansea v Liverpool perhaps as it is European week

I speak to people everyday from all corners of Ireland in the Irish public service about their pay tv habits such as very well off or not well off

UK/Irish pay tv packages can give you most of the pay tv sport content
Which sports are they missing for you