The NFL’s arrival at Croke Park next week will be one of the biggest sporting events of the year, and Irish fans have just received another boost with the news that it will be shown live and free-to-air on Virgin Media Television.
In a new broadcast partnership announced yesterday, Virgin Media will carry a package of ten NFL games across the 2025 season, including the Minnesota Vikings v Pittsburgh Steelers clash in Dublin on 28 September, the other five NFL international fixtures in Europe, three playoff games, and the showpiece Super Bowl LX.
The deal marks the NFL’s first-ever free-to-air television partnership in Ireland, where coverage has traditionally been exclusive to Sky Sports.
Tommy Martin will front the coverage, joined by NFL defensive end Efe Obada, Founder of Leader Kicking Tadhg Leader, and podcaster Michael McQuaid. Game-day analysis will come from Dave McIntyre, while Bernard O’Toole will report live from the Croke Park sideline.
The European games to be shown include three in London, one in Berlin, and one in Madrid, reflecting the NFL’s rapid growth across the continent.
Virgin Media will then extend coverage into January with live playoff games, before closing the season with a full free-to-air broadcast of Super Bowl LX from San Francisco
“This partnership brings a historic game to Irish audiences free-to-air, but also delivers broader access to the sport throughout the 2025 season,” said NFL Director of International Business Development and Media Laura Louisy.
“To bring ten NFL games — including the Croke Park fixture, three playoff games and the Super Bowl — to Irish viewers free-to-air, with local analysis and storytelling, is a major opportunity.” added Mick McCaffrey, Virgin Media Television’s Director of News and Sport
The deal positions Ireland alongside the UK, Germany, and Spain as one of the NFL’s key European broadcast markets.
And with tickets for the Croke Park game long since sold out, Virgin Media’s coverage offers a front-row seat to one of the most anticipated sporting occasions of the year, with the promise of the playoffs and Super Bowl to follow.
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