Virgin Media NFL deal puts 22 games a season on free-to-air TV In Ireland

The Super Bowl will remain free to watch

The new Virgin Media NFL deal will put at least 22 games a season on free-to-air television in Ireland, including the Super Bowl, under a partnership extension running to the end of the 2028 campaign.

The agreement covers 18 live Sunday night games, three play-off ties and the Super Bowl in each of the next three seasons, more than double the 10 games shown on Virgin Media Television during the 2025 season.

Coverage runs across Virgin Media Television’s channels and its streaming service, Virgin Media PLAY, The42 reported.

The NFL is giving Irish fans even more

The league framed the extension as a dividend of last year’s regular-season game at Croke Park in Dublin.

Laura Louisy, the NFL’s senior director of international business development and media, said the appetite in Ireland is now unmistakable.

"Following the success of the 2025 NFL Dublin game in Croke Park, the growing appetite in Ireland for NFL games is evident," said Louisy.

"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."

Mick McCaffrey, director of news and sport at Virgin Media Television, said the response to the Dublin fixture “demonstrated the significant growth in interest in American football here”, and that the deal will “significantly increase the number of games available free-to-air”.

With the 2026 season kicking off next month, Irish viewers know where to find the biggest game of the week without paying for it.