Virgin Media And WWE Reach New Free-To-Air Broadcast Deal In Ireland
(Photo credit: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images)
Exciting news for members of the WWE Universe in Ireland! WWE announced today that they reached a new agreement with Virgin Media that will see free-to-air content in the country of Ireland.
You can read the full release below:
VIRGIN MEDIA TELEVISION AND WWE® ANNOUNCE FREE-TO-AIR BROADCAST AGREEMENT IN IRELAND
DUBLIN, IRELAND and STAMFORD, Conn., March 25, 2021 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a new partnership with Virgin Media Television to broadcast highlights of WWE’s flagship programs Raw® and SmackDown® on free-to-air television for the first time in Ireland.
Beginning March 27, Virgin Media Two will air a one-hour version of Raw on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and one-hour version of SmackDown on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. The weekly programming will be broadcast 52 weeks a year captivating fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism.
“We are excited to bring our flagship programming to free-to-air television for the first time in Ireland with Virgin Media Television,” said Andy Warkman, WWE VP, General Manager, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa. “This new partnership is a momentous step for the WWE brand and is terrific news for our passionate fanbase in Ireland.”
“We are absolutely delighted to be bringing WWE to Irish free to air viewers each Saturday and Sunday on Virgin Media Two. WWE is such an iconic brand in Ireland and the fact that Irish Superstars such as Becky Lynch, Finn Bálor and Sheamus have featured so prominently in Raw and Smackdown over the last few years just adds to the excitement,” said Mick McCaffrey, Head of News and Sport, Virgin Media.
As part of the agreement, premium WWE documentaries will also be available on VMTV, including WWE 24: Becky Lynch and WWE 24: Finn Bálor, which offer fans a closer look at the lives and careers of the Irish-born WWE Superstars.
About Virgin Media
Virgin Media is the leading connected entertainment cable and broadcast business in Ireland. Every day we deliver connections that really matter for Irish Consumers and Businesses with multi award-winning services including broadband, TV, mobile and home phone. Our Virgin Media Business division provides the fastest broadband speeds and connectivity solutions for entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector.
Virgin Media Television, our broadcast division, is Ireland’s number one commercial broadcaster offering three free-to-air channels: Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two, Virgin Media Three, as well as the Virgin Media Player. We are a significant investor in home produced content, including news, current affairs and drama, as well as offering the best in international programming. Virgin Media Sport and our 6 Extra Sport channels offer extensive sports coverage across the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. Our advertising sales agency, Virgin Media Solutions, creates unique, innovative campaigns for our business and for third party clients across the UK and Ireland.
Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, one of the world’s leading converged video, broadband and communications companies, with operations in six European countries.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 900 million homes worldwide in 28 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network. The Company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Dubai, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Riyadh, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
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