The Premier League is back, and there have never been more ways to enjoy all the action. But is eir Sport, Sky Sports or NOW TV the right footy viewing option for you?
It has been 81 days since the final whistle was blown on the 2016/17 Premier League season. Not like we’ve been counting or anything.
Tonight, the self-proclaimed “best league in the world” is back and there are plenty of ways to watch all the action live.
But which provider - eir Sport, Sky Sports or NOW TV - is offering the best bang for your buck this season?
eir Sport
eir Sport has the rights to 42 Premier League games this season, as well as every Champions League and Europa League game.
The majority of live games will be 5.30pm Saturday kick-offs, with some midweek kick-offs thrown in too.
The first game to be shown live on eir Sport this season will be newly-promoted Brighton playing host to Man City at 5.30pm this Saturday.
How can I get eir Sport?
eir Sport is available at a range of different prices, depending on which broadband provider a customer is with.
New and existing eir broadband customers can get eir Sport for free. If you'd like to sign up to eir now, you can do so by visiting our eir Broadband page.
Sky broadband customers can subscribe to eir Sport for an average monthly cost of €18.75. Note that you’ll need your Sky viewing card number to sign up.
Virgin Media customers can't get eir Sport at the moment.
eir Sport is available to Vodafone customers for €20 a month, but new Vodafone customers can get all six channels for free for six months. You can sign up for Vodafone broadband on bonkers.ie now.
Finally, if you’re an eir broadband customer but you get your TV package from Sky, you can still get eir Sport for free. You can sign up here - you’ll need your eir login details and Sky viewing card number to do so.
Sky Sports
There will be a whopping 126 live Premier League games shown on Sky Sports this season, with the curtain-raiser of Arsenal v Leicester being shown live at 7.45pm tonight.
The most common kick-off times on Sky Sports this season will be 12.30pm on Saturdays, and 1.30pm and 4pm on Sundays. There’ll also be some Friday night and Monday night kick-offs along the way too.
How much does Sky Sports cost?
eir TV customers can get Sky Sports for €40 a month.
Sky and Vodafone are offering Sky Sports for half price for half a year, so €20 a month for six months, €40 after that.
Finally, Virgin Media is offering Sky Sports for €32 a month for 12 months, €40 thereafter.
NOW TV
The new player on the live Premier League scene this season is NOW TV, and we think it’s going to be a very popular choice among football fans.
NOW TV is Sky’s new contract-free TV service and it allows you to subscribe to Sky Sports on a monthly (€50), weekly (€15) or daily basis (€10) with no contract.
Say you’re a Liverpool fan who doesn’t care about watching Huddersfield v Bournemouth live (yes, they’re Premier League teams now), it might make sense for you to just buy a €10 day pass whenever the Reds are playing, instead of subscribing for a whole year.
Another handy thing about NOW TV is the fact that it’s accessible via mobile and laptop, as well as TV.
How to get NOW TV
NOW TV is available for sign up now and, to mark the beginning of the new season, the monthly pass is available for €25 for the first month.
Flexible footy
Whether you're a die-hard or fair-weather fan, there are lots of ways for you to enjoy the thrills and spills of the new Premier League season in a way that suits your budget, preferences and habits.
That was a long 81 days, enjoy the big kick-off!
