Virgin Media Television has significantly deepened its relationship with the NFL, agreeing a new three-year free-to-air broadcast deal that will see at least 22 games per season shown live to Irish audiences.
The agreement represents a major step up from the ten games carried by Virgin Media in 2025 and provides further evidence of the NFL’s determination to build a sustained audience in Ireland beyond the impact of last year’s historic regular-season game at Croke Park.
Virgin Media Television will show 18 Sunday evening games in the 9 pm window during each regular season, together with three playoff games and the Super Bowl.
Coverage will run across Virgin Media Television’s free-to-air channels and Virgin Media PLAY through to the conclusion of the 2028 NFL season.
The move transforms the NFL from an occasional presence on Irish free-to-air television into a consistent weekly proposition throughout the autumn and winter.
The NFL’s first regular-season game in Ireland, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park in September 2025, provided an enormous one-off platform. A sell-out crowd of 74,512 attended, while the NFL subsequently reported that more than half a million viewers watched Virgin Media’s Irish free-to-air coverage.
The wider impact was substantial as well. Research commissioned by Fáilte Ireland estimated the event generated €104.5 million for the Irish economy, attracted more than 51,500 international visitors and delivered a 10.5-to-one return on public investment.
The challenge for the NFL since has been converting that major-event interest into habitual fandom.
This broadcast agreement is an important piece of that process.
“Following the success of the 2025 NFL Dublin game in Croke Park, the growing appetite in Ireland for NFL games is evident,” said Laura Louisy, Senior Director, International Business Development and Media at the NFL.
“Virgin Media Television played a key role in bringing the Dublin game to a huge Irish audience, and we are thrilled to build on that with an extension that expands our footprint and brings Irish fans even more games over the next three seasons.”
There is no NFL regular-season game in Ireland in 2026, with the league instead staging a record nine international fixtures across its expanding global schedule.
The new television deal therefore gives the NFL a means of maintaining momentum in the Irish market even in seasons when there is no Croke Park fixture to provide the headline moment.
It also strengthens Virgin Media’s position around live sport.
“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with the NFL and significantly increase the number of games available free-to-air for viewers across Ireland,” said Mick McCaffrey, Director of News and Sport at Virgin Media Television.
“The response to the 2025 NFL Dublin game demonstrated the significant growth in interest in American football here. This agreement reinforces our commitment to bringing major sporting events to audiences across Virgin Media Television and Virgin Media PLAY.”
The free-to-air agreement will sit alongside Sky Sports’ extensive NFL coverage in Ireland and the UK. Sky began its latest three-year rights cycle in 2025, including multiple live Sunday games, Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, RedZone, the playoffs, and Super Bowl.
Virgin Media’s proposition is therefore less about replicating the full NFL experience and more about putting a regular, high-profile selection of games in front of the widest possible Irish audience.
The broadcaster will also create a dedicated weekly programme around the sport.
NFL Overtime, hosted by Michael McQuaid each Thursday, will review the previous weekend’s action and preview the upcoming games and storylines.
Importantly, it is being produced specifically for an Irish audience, combining highlights and analysis with fan discussion and an Irish perspective on the league.
Sport for Business Perspective
The increase from ten games to at least 22 in the space of a year is arguably as important for the NFL’s Irish ambitions as another individual game at Croke Park.
Major events create fans, but regular access keeps them.
An 18-week presence in a Sunday evening slot gives Virgin Media and the NFL the opportunity to establish appointment viewing, develop familiar Irish voices around the coverage and create considerably more inventory for commercial partnerships.
The Thursday NFL Overtime programme adds another layer, giving sponsors and fans a consistent touchpoint between game weekends rather than relying solely on imported match coverage.
The 2025 Dublin game demonstrated the scale of interest that the NFL can generate in Ireland. More than doubling its free-to-air television presence is about turning that interest into something sustainable.
And with the NFL having made it clear that Ireland remains part of its longer-term international ambitions, building a larger television audience now will only strengthen the commercial case for the next time the league brings a game back to Dublin.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Virgin Media and NFL UK and Ireland
ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS
Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.
Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.
Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
