• Virgin Media Television will broadcast more live sport than ever before this spring with the return of the Heineken Champions Cup, the Guinness Six Nations, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the biggest racing festivals this spring, including Cheltenham and Aintree.

• Red Rock returns for its most dramatic and explosive season yet.

• The biggest talent search on Irish television is back with a brand new series of Ireland’s Got Talent.
• Love Island UK returns, alongside brand new Love Island USA and Love Island Australia.
• New True Lives documentaries include Paedophile Hunters, Missing: Fiona Sinnott and Donncha O’Callaghan’s Afterlife.
• To coincide with the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, Virgin Media Television will continue to support Irish film and drama, with a season of homegrown movies and feature film specials.

 

Virgin Media Television announced details of the spring 2019 schedule, at a press briefing held today, Tuesday January 08^th, in The Alex, Dublin.    

 

Live rugby returns this weekend as Joe Molloy, Shane Horgan, Shane Jennings, and Alan Quinlan will be back on our screens with coverage of the ‘Heineken Champions Cup’, kicking off with Leinster as they seek revenge against Toulouse this weekend, culminating in the ‘Champions Cup Final’ in Newcastle on May 11^th which will be broadcast back live on free-to-air television on Virgin Media One. 

 

In February, Rugby’s Greatest Championship is back with the ‘Guinness Six Nations’, as Joe Schmidt's side defend their Grand Slam title. All 15 matches will be live on Virgin Media One.

 

The most prestigious European club football competitions continue, with the knock-out stages of the ‘UEFA Champions League’ and the ‘UEFA Europa League’.   Graeme Souness, Niall Quinn, Kevin Kilbane, Keith Andrews and Brian Kerr will head up the panel of experts, alongside Tommy Martin in studio.  In addition, the ‘UEFA Champions League’ and the ‘UEFA Europa League’ Finals will be live on Virgin Media One, with all knock-out stage matches and the Finals on Virgin Media Sport.

 

Virgin Media Sport will also broadcast the best in international football with the ‘EURO 2020’ qualifiers kicking off with the first of sixty live games in March, and in June, the channel will broadcast the ‘UEFA Nations League’ finals featuring England, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.

 

The biggest and best events in the horse racing calendar will be live on Virgin Media One, with 45 days of racing in 2019, including all 4 days of the eagerly anticipated ‘Cheltenham Festival’ in March, ‘The Aintree Grand National’ in April and the best in flat racing including the ‘The Epsom Derby’ and ‘Royal Ascot’.

 

Irish content and drama will continue to lead the way with the highly anticipated return of ‘Red Rock’, promising to be the most dramatic and explosive season yet, with a Superintendent spiralling out of control and the smitten Keith Kiely being pulled deep into the underbelly of crime.

 

Entertainment also tops the agenda, with the return of the country’s biggest talent search, ‘Ireland’s Got Talent’.  Judges Louis Walsh, Denise Van-Outen, Michelle Visage and Jason Byrne return to find Ireland’s next big star. Lucy Kennedy will be back on hosting duties with Glenda Gilson and James Kavanagh bringing viewers all the backstage gossip and unseen auditions as well as exclusive interviews on ‘Ireland’s Got Mór Talent’.

 

There’s even more for Love Island fans as ‘Love Island UK’ returns alongside brand new ‘Love Island USA’ and ‘Love Island Australia’ airing on Virgin Media Two.

 

‘Gogglebox Ireland’ will return for six special episodes, as Ireland’s most opinionated households get to feast their eyes on classic telly from across the decades, from the 80’s to the 90’s. 

 

Factual content plays a big part of the schedule as the ‘True Lives’ documentary strand continues with some of the most fascinating stories yet, including; ‘Paedophile Hunters’, ‘Missing: Fiona Sinnott’ and ‘Donncha O’Callaghan’s Afterlife’.  Virgin Media One will also broadcast a number of brand new documentary series including ‘Inside Ireland’s Biggest Prison’, ‘Fota Island’ and ‘Doctor in the House’.

 

Also, this Spring,  Virgin Media Television will continue to support the Irish film and drama industry, with a season of Irish movie and feature films to coincide with the ‘Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival,’ which runs from 23^rd February to 3^rd March.

 

Speaking at today’s press briefing, Virgin Media Television’s Director of Programming, Bill Malone, said;

“We had a record year in 2018 with our best ever share of viewership, up 7% from the previous year. In 2019, we aim to continue that success story with a schedule defined by quality Irish programming and a year of big brand TV on Virgin Media Television including rugby’s greatest championship, the Guinness Six Nations; every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League match live; the return of Ireland’s Got Talent, Red Rock and Gogglebox Ireland.”

 

Brian McEvoy has been commissioned to take pictures and will be sending shots to your picture desk. 

 

ENDS

 

For further information

Louise Zayed, Virgin Media Television Senior Group Press Officer – 083 171 1839

Jennifer McDonald, Virgin Media Television Group Press Officer – 087 746 7073

Kevin Shore, Virgin Media Television Group Press Officer – 085 713 1544

 

Notes to Editor:

 

Please find attached a full list of spring programming highlights

 

About Virgin Media

Virgin Media is one of the country’s leading connected entertainment providers and operates a cable and broadcast business in Ireland.

Our cable business delivers multi award-winning services: broadband, TV, mobile and home phone connect thousands of people across the country. We are extending our cable footprint with our ‘Project Lightning’ so that more communities can enjoy the benefits of the fastest, widely available broadband speeds from Virgin Media.

Our broadcast division, Virgin Media Television is Ireland’s number one commercial broadcaster operating three free-to-air channels (Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two, Virgin Media Three, plus the Virgin Media Player) and is a significant investor in home produced content across news, current affairs and drama. We offer extensive sports coverage on our Virgin Media Sport and our 6 Extra Sport channels to ensure fans see all games across UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League fixtures and more.

Through Virgin Media Business, we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband company. Liberty Global connects 21 million customers through operations in 10 countries across Europe subscribing to 45 million TV, broadband internet and telephony services. It also serves 6 million mobile subscribers and offers WiFi service through 12 million access points across its footprint.

For further information please visit: www.virginmedia.ie and www.virginmediatelevision.ie