Sports and Toys bring Winter Sun
November\'s winder sports coverage and the annual Late Late Toy Show helped RTÉ get 28% of the audience with Virgin Media TV retain 19%. The Late Late Toy Show topped the TV charts once more, with an average audience of 1.8 million across the week. The live show had 1.56 million people tuned to the annual event, with additional 292,000 viewers watching on RTÉ ONE +1 and the Saturday repeat. RTÉ also scored well with sports getting a 6% of the audience, with the Irish Women\'s stunning win against Georgia getting an average audience of 209,000 viewers, along with 131,000 for FAI coverage and 686,000 for Ireland V New Zealand in Rugby. \r\n
November\'s winder sports coverage and the annual Late Late Toy Show helped RTÉ get 28% of the audience with Virgin Media TV retain 19%. The Late Late Toy Show topped the TV charts once more, with an average audience of 1.8 million across the week. The live show had 1.56 million people tuned to the annual event, with additional 292,000 viewers watching on RTÉ ONE +1 and the Saturday repeat. RTÉ also scored well with sports getting a 6% of the audience, with the Irish Women\'s stunning win against Georgia getting an average audience of 209,000 viewers, along with 131,000 for FAI coverage and 686,000 for Ireland V New Zealand in Rugby. \r\n
October saw RTÉ2\'s audience drop back to 5%, this compares to its best summer results in several years. RTÉ ONE\'s drama KIN remained the most watched show with 631,600 viewers, down slightly from September\'s 686,600 viewers. Virgin Media one\'s Gogglebox Ireland on October 27th had 274,400 viewers. Overall RTÉ held 26% of the audience, while Virgin Media Television retained 19%.
The Sunday Business Post reports that RTÉ do not think they will make a saving of €8million euro or anything close to it upon the move of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) to the National Concert Hall (NCH) next year. However, the independent report from Helen Boaden and Mediatique commissioned by RTÉ begs to differ. The report details a partnership with the government and RTÉ in the running and funding of the NSO as an independent organisation (or part of the the NCH). The Boaden report outlined seven options open to RTÉ and the government, with the government agreeing to move the NSO to the NCH in 2021, however it looks like they will not partner with RTÉ as report suggested it should.
The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin, has announced the membership of the Arts and Culture Recovery Task Force. Martin previously announce that RTÉ\'s former head of Radio, Clare Duignan, would lead the taskforce. Singer and Songwriter Denise Chaila and fiddle player Marin Hayes will join the taskforce long with 15 other members who will be selected by various Arts organisations.
RTÉ has seen both Sporting action and Drama return viewers. RTÉ2\'s coverage of the All Ireland Football Final had 944,600, while RTÉ ONE\'s drama KIN had 686,600. The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 returned with 178,300 viewers. Overall RTÉ held 28% of the audience, while Virgin Media Television retained 18%.
RTÉ2 after seeing its best audience share of the last 3 years has top has seen its share drop back in August as the Olympics and GAA Championships came to an end. The channel had 10% share of the audience in August 2021. The post match analysis of the All Ireland Hurling Semi-Final was the most watch programme of the month with 887,800 on August 14th. RTÉ2 will hope to retain its summer time audience in September with continued coverage of the final of the GAA Football championship. Overall RTÉ held 27% of the audience, while Virgin Media Television retained 18%.
Virgin Media TV have secure rights to broadcast UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the new UEFA Europa Conference League for the 2021-24 seasons in Ireland. Virgin Media will have first pick Champions League fixtures on Wednesday nights, the rights to every UEFA Europa League game and the final. They also have UEFA Super Cup games. The new Europa Conference League will has have its debut on Virgin Media TV. The agreement comes under a sub-licence from Saran Media Group. RTÉ will have first choice on Tuesday Night for the Champions League and its final, while both Live Score and BT will also broadcast each of the games.
On line streaming and sports scoring service LiveScore have replaced Virgin Media as the rights holders to 137 UEFA Champions League matches. RTÉ had already announced its securing of Tuesday Night games along with highlights and the final. The new broadcast/streaming rights will begin with the 2021/2022. Virgin Media announced a few weeks ago that it had pulled out of the bidding process.
