RTE will broadcast all of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 qualifiers after securing broadcast rights for qualifying matches for both tournaments.
The deal, one of the first struck since Uefa began to sell rights centrally, is part of a larger agreement involving free-to-air television broadcasters from 30 European nations.
Public service broadcasters in those countries will get the domestic rights to show home and away matches involving their respective national teams.
The deal signed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) covers nations including Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Czech Republic and Switzerland. Rights deals for major soccer-playing nations such as Germany, England and Spain have yet to be agreed.
The deals involving the Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 finals are negotiated separately and although RTE has secured the World Cup finals in Russia, the rights for the Euro 2016 finals have yet to come to market.
