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Irish rugby fans can watch every match of the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup on Premier Sports, which holds the rights in Ireland and the UK until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Who Holds the Rights in Ireland
Premier Sports is the lead broadcaster of the Investec Champions Cup in the UK and Ireland under a three-year deal that runs to the end of the 2026/27 season. It shows all 63 Champions Cup matches live, plus selected EPCR Challenge Cup games. Check EPCR’s fixture list and Premier Sports’ schedule each week for kick-off times.
Is Any of It Free?
Not on TV. In 2025/26, RTÉ’s match previews listed every Irish province’s Champions Cup game as live on Premier Sports, with live commentary of selected games on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport. Radio is the free option.
Subscription Coverage
Premier Sports is a subscription channel. In Ireland it’s in the Sports Extra pack on Sky, NOW, Virgin Media and Vodafone, and NOW sells it with no contract as part of its Sports Extra membership. Check the streaming prices tracker for NOW’s current price.
Streaming the Games
Most official broadcasters now pair their television channels with a streaming app, allowing matches to be watched on a phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming stick. If you’re using NOW, the Premier Sports app or a Sky app, make sure the app is downloaded from your country’s official app store and that your account address and billing details are set to Ireland. Streaming problems that throw up a “content not available in your region” message are very often caused by an account registered to the wrong country, an app downloaded from a different regional store, or a change of broadband provider that hasn’t been reflected in your account settings, rather than anything more complicated. In those cases, the fix is usually to check your account’s country setting in the app itself or contact the broadcaster’s customer support team directly, who can confirm what’s going on and correct it.
Getting the Best Picture on Match Day
For households juggling multiple streaming boxes, a games console and a set-top box on one television, a 3-in-1 HDMI Switch can make it easier to flick between a Virgin Media box, a Premier Sports streaming stick, and a smart TV app without constantly swapping cables behind the television. This is a particularly handy fix for households without enough HDMI ports for everything connected to one screen.
Confirming Fixtures and Kick-Off Times
Because pool stage draws and broadcast schedules for the Champions Cup are usually finalised only shortly before the season begins, the safest approach is to check EPCR’s official fixture list alongside the broadcaster’s own schedule each week. This avoids any confusion between UK and Irish kick-off times.
Recommended for This Guide
Outdoor Digital TV Aerial
A proper outdoor aerial gives the most reliable free-to-air reception for big match days on RTÉ or TG4, when every stream is under strain.
3-in-1 HDMI Switch
Useful if your streaming box, games console, and set-top box are all fighting over one HDMI port on match day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will every Champions Cup match involving an Irish province be free-to-air?
Do I need a television licence to watch the Champions Cup?
Why does my streaming app say the match isn't available in my country?
Can I watch Champions Cup rugby without a satellite or cable box?
Related
For every rugby competition in one place, see our rugby guide.
Read our full guide to legal streaming services in Ireland.
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