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VIRGIN MEDIA HAS announced plans to launch a new dedicated sports channel that will be free for all digital subscribers.
Today, the media firm TV3 Group rebranded to Virgin Media Television. That means that channels TV3, 3e and be3 will be renamed as Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Three.
As part of the announcement, the television brand has also revealed it will launch a new channel – Virgin Media Sport – that will be available to Virgin Media customers and air its range of sports content.
In recent years, TV3 Group has undertaken a major push into the sports content sector and acquired the rights for a number of high-profile tournaments and competitions.
Three years ago, the broadcaster secured the rights to air the Six Nations from 2018 to 2021, which ended RTÉ’s long association with the rugby tournament.
Earlier this year, Virgin Media also bagged a four-year agreement with European Professional Club Rugby to broadcast live Champions Cup games from next season.
Last month, it also signed a new rights deal for Uefa Champions League and Europa League matches from next season, which included 327 exclusive matches and the finals of both competitions.
The new deal means the Dublin-based broadcaster has exclusive Irish rights to all Wednesday Champions League matches and all Thursday Europa League ties. However, it will share the rights to 16 Tuesday night Champions League matches with RTÉ.
There could be further opportunity for the new Virgin Media Television group to add more sports rights to its new channel after Setanta Sports co-founder Mickey O’Rourke secured a deal to broadcast 53 live English Premier League games in Ireland from August 2019.
It is understood O’Rourke still has no platform to air the Premier League matches he acquired in the Republic, the majority of which are Saturday afternoon kick offs.
Rebrand
TV3 joined the Virgin Media empire in 2015 when it was acquired by UPC Ireland in a deal worth up to €87 million. UPC became part of Liberty Global’s UK subsidiary, Virgin Media, the previous year and has since rebranded to Virgin Media in Ireland.
Since the acquisition of the TV3 Group, Virgin Media has expanded the network and added a new channel to it roster through the acquisition of UTV Ireland in 2016 for €10 million.
The launch of the new dedicated sports channel has been made in tandem with the group’s planned rebrand to Virgin Media Television.
The three channels part of the TV3 brand currently will be renamed from TV3, 3e and Be3 to Virgin Media One, Two and Three.
The firm announced the rebrand at the beginning of the year. TV3 Group managing director Pat Kiely told reporters that the “very significant rebrand” would take place within the first half of the year.
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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4 hours?? The ones in Mayo have been burning for 2 full days now!!
The fires in Erris co mayo last night were one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. People were even evacuated from their homes.
I’m on Achill for the week and we’ve seen smoke from the same area for 3 days now, nothing under control about the fires down here.
4 days now!
How are these fires starting? It’s not like we have had weeks of dry weather and scorching sunshine. I’m not being sarcastic, I’m just really curious as to how these fires are happening.
I kid you not , last year I rang the local Garda station about fires in our area. This is what the Garda said, no joke……
Garda – sir have you ever heard or NASA
Me – yes
Garda – well they told us that a meteor was about to land in Ireland somewhere this evening
Me – really , I heard nothing in any radio station , news , think that would be quite news worthy
Garda – well it’s just in
Me – really
Garda – yes , so it may have hit your area and that is causing the fires
Me – you are taking the piss !
Garda – no that is the truth
Me – right…….. Thanks ……. So it not a local farmer setting off the fires to burn the gorse !
Garda – no a meteor
Me – right ………thanks ………. Hung up ……… WTF!!
So in short , no one really cares if your house is burned down!
They are burning the heather and clearing land. But killing thousands and thousands of wildlife in the process. Normally the fire wouldn’t spread but because the weather is so dry it’s rampant. Only 3 fire engines battling 4 large fires in Mayo. They haven’t the resources to calm these fires.
Considering it was a fire would it not have been more appropriate to ring the fire brigade!!!
Why would you ring the gardai about a fire. Would u ring them when your sick as well???
Peter everybody knows that you ring the guards when you’re sick, you are locked out of your house, there is a fire, there’s an object in the sky which may be a flare or even a UFO, when there’s a smell of gas, when your sister gets sunburned, when you find a dog, when people communicate with you through their televisions, when you see a ghost, when you get crap food in a restaurant, when you are refused entry to a night club because you’re pissed and most of all when there is any sort of noise RING THE GUARDS they are trained in all of the above!
The fires were happening every night for 2 weeks ,hence rang the Garda as its illegal to light fires in public areas …………
its a gorse fire not a forest fire.
Could it be farmers clearing land for sheep?
They should ban this outright and start throwing people in jail for it before some one loses their home or worse.
Idiot farmers burning land they have no intention of using anyway because of some old notion that belongs with the fairy forts and leprechauns.
This state has a divison of the Civil Defence that is called the Auxiliary Fire Service. If all retained or FT unots are stretched then they should be utilised.
That fire in the Silvermines mountains last night was pretty terrifying, it stretched the whole length of the mountain, was a sight to see.
I was on my way home from Shannon. The smoke could be seen at the toll bridge on the Shannon side of Limerick and I could still see it from Borrisokane. From the Limerick side, it looked like the whole mountain was about to erupt. It was an amazing sight. Nowhere to pull up to take pics though. I can’t imagine the smell that must have lingered in those houses in its path. Everything must be destroyed.
Can be something stupid like someone throwing a cigarette butt to a spark from a chimney .
Love how they only let farmers burn before the 1st of march, great burning weather that time of the year!
Its shatters fault for trying to cut wages come on people open your eyes don’t be sheep
Not sure if troll….or complete idiot…. :|
I’m thinking both!
Not to worry, the rains making a swift return.
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