LIVE COVERAGE OF this summer’s European Championships will be split between RTÉ and TV3 after a ‘historic’ licence agreement was reached between the broadcasters.

RTÉ will sub-licence 22 of the 51 games at Euro 2016 to TV3 following the conclusion of a tender process.

The state broadcaster has retained the rights to screen 30 games on RTÉ2, including all three of Ireland’s group fixtures, while they also have first choice on matches in the knock-out stages.

Under the deal, TV3 will exclusively screen 16 group games, three round of 16 ties, two quarter-finals and share coverage of the tournament’s final.

“RTÉ is delighted to partner with TV3, another Irish broadcaster, to ensure that the UEFA Euro 2016 Finals are delivered to Irish audiences free-to-air,” Ryle Nugent, Group Head of RTÉ Sport, said.

TV3′s coverage will be hosted by Tommy Martin while Graeme Souness is expected to be among the pundits in the Ballymount studio.

It’s another significant statement of intent in the sports rights market from TV3 after it outbid RTÉ for exclusive coverage of last year’s Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations from 2017 onwards.

Additionally, it retained its broadcast rights for the Uefa Champions League and Europa League until 2017/18.

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RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue. Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

“This has been a busy and an exciting few weeks for TV3,” the stations’s managing director, Pat Kiely, said. “We are very happy to be collaborating with our old rivals in RTÉ this summer and I am personally very happy to be announcing the start of what is a new era in Irish sports broadcasting.

“We are grateful to everyone who has made it possible including Uefa, with whom we work so well on Champions League and our colleagues in RTÉ.

“This deal further demonstrates TV3’s commitment under our new owners Virgin Media to bring the very best live sport to Irish viewers. We are very much looking forward to being part of Uefa’s football family for Euro 2016.”

The tournament, which is being staged in France, commences on Friday 10 June with the hosts facing Romania in Paris.

RTÉ’s Euro 2016 fixtures:

10 June: France v Romania (kick-off 8pm)

11 June: Albania v Switzerland (2pm), Wales v Slovakia (8pm)

12 June: Poland v Northern Ireland (5pm)

13 June: Rep. of Ireland v Sweden (5pm), Belgium v Italy (8pm)

14 June: Portugal v Iceland (8pm)

15 June: Russia v Slovakia (2pm)

16 June: England v Wales (2pm), Germany v Poland (8pm)

17 June: Italy v Sweden (2pm), Czech Republic v Croatia (5pm)

18 June: Belgium v Rep. of Ireland (2pm), Portugal v Austria (8pm)

19 June: Switzerland v France (8pm)

20 June: Russia v Wales (8pm)

21 June: Northern Ireland v Germany (5pm), Czech Republic v Turkey (8pm)

22 June: Iceland v Austria (5pm), Italy v Rep. of Ireland (8pm)



TV3′s Euro 2016 fixtures:

11 June: England v Russia

12 June: Turkey v Croatia, Germany v Ukraine

13 June: Spain v Czech Republic

14 June: Austria v Hungary

15 June: Romania v Switzerland, France v Albania

16 June: Ukraine v Northern Ireland

17 June: Spain v Turkey

18 June: Iceland v Hungary

19 June: Romania v Albania

20 June: Slovakia v England

21 June: Ukraine v Poland, Croatia v Spain

22 June: Hungary v Portugal, Sweden v Belgium



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