A round-up of stories in sports media over the last seven days so that you can stay ahead of the game.
Virgin Media to Introduce Audio Description Commentary with Return of the League of Ireland
Virgin Media Television has revealed that audio descriptive commentary will be available for live League of Ireland games for the first time ever.
Thanks to a partnership with Rockshore 0.0, Virgin Media Television and Virgin Media Play will offer audio descriptive commentary to fans for all live games for the remainder of the 2025 season, as well as the entire 2026 season, totalling 52 matches.
The action returns this Friday night, with the blockbuster showdown between Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park from 7:30 pm on Virgin Media Two.
AD commentary can be accessed via the accessibility settings on the viewers’ platform.
Brian Gleeson, Head of Sport at Virgin Media Television, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Rockshore 0.0 to bring Audio Descriptive commentary to our League of Ireland coverage, making the game we love more accessible to all.”
Anne Zahan, Head of Beer at Diageo Ireland, said: “As proud partners to the League of Ireland, we are delighted to be partnering with Virgin to provide audio description for all League of Ireland matches this season. A league of our own means a league for everyone to be able to enjoy.”
RTÉ cuts back coverage of Luxembourg friendly
It may not have been the most glamorous or important of fixtures, but RTÉ’s coverage of the Republic of Ireland away to Luxembourg on Tuesday night raised eyebrows and anger.
The station significantly scaled back on its broadcast of the game, with no in‑studio pundits and reduced commentary with Des Curran and Ronnie Wheland
covering halftime as well as the full 90 minutes.
Viewers criticised the move, speculating about budget pressures. RTÉ described it as a “once‑off” situation, blaming it on the maintenance of a studio needed for next month’s Euro 2025 coverage and Primetime coming live from the only alternative studio.
O’Gara, Murray and Farrell join Sky Sports as Lions Pundits
Retired England captain Owen Farrell, son of Lions Manager Andy, Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray have all been added to the talent for analysis of the Lions tour to Australia, and the departure game at the Aviva Stadium next week.
Marking his first TV analyst role, Farrell joins a star-studded expert line-up, even as his playing future and club return remain under discussion.
Warner Bros. Discovery split to streamline strategy
Warner Bros. Discovery plans to split into two public companies: one for streaming and studios (HBO Max, Warner Bros., DC), and another for linear channels (CNN, TNT Sports, Bleacher Report).
The restructuring aims to address over $50 billion in debt, operational inefficiencies, and streaming disruptions.
There are natural fears over the long-term future of TNT Sports, which provides a substantial amount of the coverage we sometimes take for granted.
Sky Sports News pivots to Digital Content Hub
Sky Sports News is undergoing voluntary redundancies and shifting from linear broadcast to digital-first content focused on clips for social platforms, podcasts, and on-demand viewing.
A total of seven hosts will be taking voluntary redundancy, including Melissa Reddy and Rob Wotton, who infamously questioned Irish Women’s team star Chloe Mustaki on history lessons after the playing of Celtic Symphony in the dressing room after Ireland had beaten Scotland to advance to a first World Cup Finals.
The realignment mirrors ESPN’s pivot and reflects perhaps the declining relevance of rolling TV news amid smartphones and influencer-driven formats.
The station has been broadcasting for 27 years.
Premier League Explores “Premflix” Streaming
A Deloitte report has suggested that the Premier League will need to produce its own direct‑to‑consumer platform, enabling global fan streaming without traditional broadcasters.
With £3.25 BN TV revenue in 2023–24, growth remains capped unless innovative delivery is pursued.
Discussions include pilot programming in Singapore and leveraging the newly on stream Premier League Studios at Olympia in London.
Perhaps they could learn some lessons and bring GAA+ on board to advise…
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