A word on who is writing: Vivimate sells an IPTV subscription in US dollars, so it is one of the options here and we can't assess it neutrally. Nothing on this page is ranked, no other IPTV store is named, and this page reports no measurements of our own. Every Irish price and rule below comes from the provider's or authority's own page, read on November 10, 2026, and where a page wouldn't load for us we say so instead of borrowing a figure.
Start with the licence, because it decides more than you'd think
Ireland's licence rules hinge on the screen, not on what you watch. Citizens Information says a TV licence costs €160 a year and that any TV in the home needs one, even a broken one. A smart TV used only for streaming still needs a licence because it is capable of receiving a TV signal, while a computer, phone or tablet that can't pick up a signal by aerial, cable or satellite doesn't. Fines reach €1,000, or €2,000 for later offences.
Irish TV options and listed prices
| Service | Type | Listed price, read November 10, 2026 | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saorview | Free-to-air, aerial | Free (TV licence €160 a year) | Needs an aerial and an approved TV or box |
| Sky Essential TV | Pay TV | €20 a month for 12 months, new customers | Standard price €31 a month; Sky Sports standard €45 a month |
| Virgin Media 500Mb + Loaded TV | Broadband and TV bundle | €45 a month for 12 months, then €104 | more than 100 channels; Virgin broadband required |
| LOITV | League streaming service | €99 a year, or €14.99 month to month | All three League of Ireland divisions and the FAI Cups |
| Vivimate (ours) | IPTV seller | $19.99 USD for one month | Prepaid, no automatic renewal; rights agreements not published |
eir's TV page loads its prices in a way our reader couldn't see, and RTÉ Player's pages returned nothing readable, so neither has a figure here. Offers in Ireland are often for new customers only and run for 12 months; check each page before you decide.
Free-to-air: Saorview and the broadcasters' players
Saorview sells itself as "the TV you want, for free": an aerial plus a Saorview-approved TV or box, with no subscription. TG4's own FAQ puts it on Saorview channel 4, and Virgin Media Television streams its channels live and on demand on Virgin Media Player. For a home that mostly watches the national channels, news and the Irish-language service, this may cover nearly everything, with the licence as the only bill.
Pay TV: Sky and Virgin Media
Sky Ireland listed Essential TV at €20 a month for 12 months for new customers, with a standard price of €31 a month after that; Sky Sports carried a standard price of €45 a month on top. Its footnotes also quoted €18 a month for Essential on Sky Stream with a Netflix plan, on a broadband line of at least 25Mbps, so read the small print for the box you'd actually get.
Virgin Media Ireland listed 500Mb broadband with Loaded TV, which it describes as more than 100 channels, at €45 a month for 12 months and €104 a month after. Loaded TV requires Virgin broadband at all times, and its terms put TV and broadband on a 12-month contract unless stated otherwise. The page said its information was correct on November 5, 2026.
The second year is where these options separate. Virgin's figure pays for the internet as well, so set it against your current broadband bill; Sky's needs a broadband line of its own.
Sport: the league's own pass, rugby and the Premier League
The League of Ireland sells its matches directly. LOITV listed an annual plan at €99, a 12-month plan at €9.99 a month, a flexible monthly plan at €14.99 and a 24-hour pass at €10.99, covering all three League of Ireland divisions and the FAI Cups. It says some televised games are restricted in Ireland.
The IRFU's site lists Ireland against Fiji on Saturday, November 14 and against South Africa on Saturday, November 21, both at the Aviva Stadium in what it calls the Nations Championship, without naming a broadcaster. For the Premier League, our page on what channel the Premier League is on lists Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Premier Sports for the Republic of Ireland. GAA+, the GAA's streaming service, refused our reader, so we can't give its terms.
Irish TV from the US or Canada
Many readers of this site grew up in Ireland or have family there. Two Irish services say plainly that they work abroad. The TG4 FAQ lists "Worldwide: TG4.ie Player, IOS App and Android App" and says most of its Irish-language content is available worldwide, with some programmes restricted to the island of Ireland and marked [é] in its listings. LOITV says it is available worldwide, with over 480 live games. We couldn't read RTÉ Player's pages, so check RTÉ's own help before you count on it from abroad.
We don't suggest using a VPN to get around an Irish broadcaster's geographic limits; those limits reflect the rights the broadcaster holds.
IPTV sellers and the rights question
An IPTV seller sends a login for a player app on your TV, stick or phone. The lists are long and the prices low, often in US dollars. The technology is legal; whether a seller is lawful depends on whether it holds the rights to what it streams. Our guide to whether IPTV is legal explains what to look for, and our checks before paying for IPTV cover the rest.
To test one, search for every channel on your list at the hour it airs, watch on your normal connection during a busy evening, and buy the shortest plan first. Our working figures are 10 Mbps for HD, 15 Mbps for Full HD and 25 Mbps for 4K per stream; the IPTV internet speed guide shows how to check yours. A seller promising every championship match for a few euro deserves extra caution.
Vivimate's terms, for comparison
Vivimate is an IPTV seller for US and Canadian homes, priced in US dollars, prepaid, with no contract and no automatic renewal. We don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels, and we don't promise any named Irish channel, league or event.
| Plan | One device (USD) | Two devices (USD) | Per month, one device |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $19.99 | $31.98 | $19.99/mo |
| 3 Months | $29.99 | $47.98 | $10.00/mo |
| 6 Months | $39.99 | $63.98 | $6.67/mo |
| 12 Months + 2 FREE | $69.99 | $111.98 | $5.00/mo |
The 24-hour free trial needs no card: message us on WhatsApp to start it, then use the setup guide for your device. First purchases have a 7-day refund window when a service problem you report can't be fixed; see the refund policy and the plans page. Our UK guide and the other IPTV guides by country cover nearby markets.
Which route fits which household
- National channels and the news: Saorview and the free players, plus the licence.
- One provider, known rights: Sky or a Virgin Media bundle, after reading the second-year price.
- League of Ireland, at home or abroad: LOITV, starting with its monthly plan or a 24-hour pass.
- Irish-language TV from North America: the TG4 Player, checking the [é] marks first.
- A long list for less, rights unpublished accepted: an IPTV seller, after a trial and on a short plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best IPTV in Ireland?
We sell one of the options, so we don't name a winner, and this page reports no measurements of our own. Saorview and the free players suit homes that watch the main channels, Sky and Virgin Media suit homes that want one provider with known rights, LOITV suits League of Ireland followers, and an IPTV seller suits people who want a long list for less and will test it first.
Do I need a TV licence for IPTV in Ireland?
If you have a TV, yes. Citizens Information says a TV licence costs €160 a year and that a smart TV needs one even if it is only used for streaming. Watching on a computer, phone or tablet that can't receive a broadcast signal doesn't need one. Read on November 10, 2026.
Can I watch the League of Ireland from the US or Canada?
LOITV's subscription page says it is available worldwide, with access to over 480 live games, from €9.99 a month on a 12-month plan or €99 a year. It also says some televised games are restricted in Ireland. Read on November 10, 2026.
Can I watch TG4 outside Ireland?
TG4's FAQ says most of its Irish-language content is available worldwide on the TG4 Player and its iOS and Android apps, but some programmes are restricted to the island of Ireland and marked [é] in its listings. Live streams run where rights permit.
Does Vivimate carry Irish channels?
We don't promise any named Irish channel, league or event. During the free 24-hour trial, search the guide for each channel you watch, at the time it airs, and decide from what you find.
Sources
Each company's, league's or authority's own page, all read on November 10, 2026. Links pay us nothing.
- Citizens Information, TV licences; Saorview; TG4, FAQ; Virgin Media Television
- Sky Ireland, TV; Virgin Media Ireland, broadband and TV bundles
- LOITV, subscription plans; IRFU, fixtures
Couldn't read: rte.ie/player and about.rte.ie (no readable page or refused), eir.ie/tv (prices load by script), gaaplus.ie (refused our reader) and leagueofireland.ie (no broadcaster information on its homepage). Kick-off conversions are our arithmetic. This page reports no measurements of our own.
New to the service? Start with the full Vivimate IPTV guide — what it includes, what it costs and how to set it up.