Premier Sports did finally publish their list of 3pm FAPL fixtures today, so it looks like the ROI rights were rolled over just like the U.K. rights (which given how closely connected the other packages are, was probably the only fair approach to take).
Also at this stage, though no announcement, it can also be assumed that Sky’s wholesale deals with BT and Premier Sports, giving them entire control of both channels wholesale rights in the ROI market (in other words other providers such as Vodafone and Virgin have to deal with Sky rather than directly with BT/Premier) have now been extended; previous deals with BT at any rate have been tied to Premier League rights cycles. I can’t think that WBD will want to be tied into a deal which effectively prohibits it from retailing BT Sport or it’s successor direct to consumer in Ireland for that long, but let’s see what happens.
Not an ounce of info about what’s happening to Premier Sports in Ireland after the takeover of the U.K. operations by Viaplay, incidentally. It’s all quiet on that front. Id have thought they’d have come as a package given the tight integration but no mainstream Irish media outlet even picked up the story of the deal being done (one newspaper reported on it before the deal was done).
Also at this stage, though no announcement, it can also be assumed that Sky’s wholesale deals with BT and Premier Sports, giving them entire control of both channels wholesale rights in the ROI market (in other words other providers such as Vodafone and Virgin have to deal with Sky rather than directly with BT/Premier) have now been extended; previous deals with BT at any rate have been tied to Premier League rights cycles. I can’t think that WBD will want to be tied into a deal which effectively prohibits it from retailing BT Sport or it’s successor direct to consumer in Ireland for that long, but let’s see what happens.
Not an ounce of info about what’s happening to Premier Sports in Ireland after the takeover of the U.K. operations by Viaplay, incidentally. It’s all quiet on that front. Id have thought they’d have come as a package given the tight integration but no mainstream Irish media outlet even picked up the story of the deal being done (one newspaper reported on it before the deal was done).