BT has acquired two of the seven live English Premier League TV packages on offer for the Republic of Ireland for the next two seasons.

The British company, who announced yesterday they would be taking over ESPN’s channel business in the UK and Ireland under the BT Sport brand, will show 38 matches each season, mainly at the 12.45pm slot on Saturdays.

In a deal which mirrors the rights awarded in the UK, BSkyB continue to dominate the live football market, having acquired the other five packages on offer, or a total of 116 games per season.

The deal covers the seasons 2013/14 and 2015/16, with Sky taking over ESPN’s 5.30pm slot on a Saturday, where they can broadcast between 16 and 18 games.