LOI Director Reveals Approximately 45 LOI Men’s and Women’s Matches to Be Televised in 2024
Premier Division TV coverage got a boost earlier today with the news that Virgin Media will double the number of live matches this season to 14. The rights fees being paid by Virgin remain confidential, but there will be a particular focus on the Monday night standalone fixture, while a Thursday night fixture will also be included in the original schedule.
Scanlon confirmed that in addition to these 14 matches, RTÉ will host 18 league matches and a further four in cup competitions, with plans for TG4’s Women’s Premier Division in 2024. An announcement regarding the scope will also be made in the coming days.
However, after Premier Division clubs such as Dundalk and Drogheda were not selected for live coverage last year, Mr Scanlon said when discussing the selection of matches that some domestic grounds, such as Virgin and RTÉ, were not chosen for live coverage. The club admits that it has more challenges than other clubs.
“Yes, unfortunately that is the harsh reality. There are certain venues that broadcasters do not want to broadcast,” he said when asked if some clubs were not selected for live games last year because their grounds were unsuitable. Mr. Scanlon said.
“There are a number of reasons for this. The broadcast infrastructure around the ground may not be up to par, or the pitch, floodlights or stand itself may not be broadcast quality, or there may be problems with the visibility of the background.
“Generally, I would say somewhere in the range of maybe 50% of the premises is very comfortable to broadcast on. There are 50 things that are not.
“This is a real problem and one that cannot be avoided if we want to increase the value of our broadcast contracts and exposure to the league. We have to improve our facilities.”
Scanlon declined to cite specific evidence, but added:
“When it comes to the two lands you mentioned, Drogheda and Dundalk, clearly they both have more challenges than some of the others.”
Virgin’s coverage begins with Shamrock Rovers hosting Derry City following a five-game series on Monday 4th March, before TV cameras turn on Galway United vs. Bohemians (Monday 1st April) and Shelbourne vs. Visit Shamrock Rovers (Monday 22nd April). ).
“We’re getting closer to that (one live game per round). The more exposure we can get for players and clubs in the league, the better,” Scanlon said in an announcement in Dublin today.
“There are four games scheduled for Monday, one on a regular Monday and three on public holidays. In the case of public holidays, the game will kick off at 7:45 and all other games at 7:45. Therefore, this game will be a standalone game on TV at that point and will not compete with other games.”
A standalone live Thursday night program will be trialled on May 23, but Scanlon said it would be difficult to do so at a time when European soccer is also being played. “One of those games will be moved from Friday to Thursday. Again, it will be a standalone game,” he said.
League of Ireland directors expect around 45 games to be shown live in 2024, a slight increase from last season.
“Last year we had a record number of just over 40 games across all three divisions. This year we’ll probably be a little bit higher than that, around 45 or something like that,” Scanlon said.
“The contract with RTÉ is for 18 league matches and 4 cup matches. The four cup matches include two (men’s) semi-finals, a men’s final, and a women’s final. We plan to make an announcement on TG4 in the coming days. .”
Although the Premier Division is still short of one live game a week, Scanlon says there is still a long way to go to reach that target and improving facilities remains a key factor in getting there. It has said.
“We are a small country with a small population, a limited number of broadcasters in this area and limited competition from other sports. In the end it comes down to facilities,” Scan said. Ron added.
“For us to get the best deal on behalf of the club and secure more coverage, the product has to look good. This product looks great on the pitch and we I’ve felt that for a long time.
“The quality of football is always improving, but when we have the FAI Cup final in November, for example, you’ll see the difference to the performance in a packed stadium. It makes a difference to the broadcast. Investment in facilities and Further improvements over the next few years will bring us even closer.
“We have turned down deals in the past where people want to show coverage but there are no rights fees. We have to have value in our product. LOITV can also be used for gaming. We will not remove your game from LOITV unless we incur a fee.
“Everything has to do with the league. We submit reports to the clubs on a quarterly basis. Every penny we make from this show and other broadcast deals goes back into the league.”
Live broadcasts are also scheduled for Monday 6th May, Monday 20th May, Thursday 23rd May and Monday 3rd June (all kick-offs at 7:45pm), with remaining games and further dates to be announced. A decision will be made later. The television deal also includes a promotion/relegation play-off final at the end of the year.
“It was great to welcome Virgin Media as our new broadcast partner in 2023 and really confirms the league’s progress, so it’s really positive and exciting to see a further extensive deal in place in 2024. We are grateful for Virgin Media’s commitment to Irish Football.
FAI CEO Jonathan Hill, who was also present at the launch in Dublin this morning, said: “The quality and passion of last year’s broadcasts caught the attention of many and we hope to repeat them in 2024. I can look forward to it.”