Irish fans will be able to live-stream all Champions League football matches after new deal announced

Fans will be able to live-stream all 137 matches.

A three-year deal to show all Champions League matches, via live-stream, has been announced today. While RTE will still be showing one live game each Tuesday, and another broadcaster for a Wednesday match is set to be confirmed, Irish fans looking to watch any and all games will be able to do so on the LiveScore app. A statement from LiveScore reads (in part):

'Throughout the term of the three-year deal, commencing at the start of the 2021/22 UCL season, LiveScore will be the exclusive Irish free-to-air broadcaster of 104 UCL fixtures per season. The remaining 33 ties, including the UEFA Champions League Final, will also be live-streamed on a non-exclusive basis.

The landmark deal ensures football fans in Ireland will be able to watch every single UCL fixture on a fully free-to-air platform, via the LiveScore app for iOS and Android. Users will be able to watch the matches on their mobile or tablet devices, with the further option to ‘cast’ the action to their TV screens.'

Although a relative newcomer to the footage market, LiveScore has already streamed over 1,000 matches from across 15 different leagues in the 2020/21 season. [caption id="attachment_228751" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Chelsea celebrate their 2020/21 Champions League triumph. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)[/caption] The app is also set to feature Champions League highlights 'as well as further on-demand content' such as interviews with players and coaches.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director at UEFA says the body is delighted to have LiveScore as the new broadcaster of UEFA Champions League rights in the Republic of Ireland. "We are excited to see the innovative coverage it will deliver," he added, "and to bring comprehensive coverage of the best of European club football to Irish fans for free."

Virgin Media has covered live matches - usually involving Premier League teams - on Wednesday, over recent years. It is expected that the later knock-out stage games would still be available free-to-air on Irish terrestrial TV.

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