Updated May 19th 2021, 4:57 PM
EIR HAVE CONFIRMED that its eir Sport channels will wind up later this year, bringing an end to its venture into sports television.
It’s understood that eir Sport staff were informed of the decision on Tuesday morning.
The telecommunications company and broadcaster announced in March that they were opting out of bidding for sports rights in the latest round of TV auctioning.
At the time, Eir said they were “currently exploring options for the future of eir Sport”.
Now the firm have confirmed that “following an in-depth review” they have “decided to discontinue eir Sport later this year” as the pandemic meant the business model was no longer viable.
“The challenges of the last year have fundamentally changed the commercial model for sports broadcasters, with more sporting events moving to free-to-air and premium broadcasting rights becoming increasingly expensive,” a statement issued to The42 continued.
The sports TV network will continue to broadcast content this year before it winds up for good.
“We are refocusing our resources on our core business of providing the best mobile and broadband networks and services for our customers,” it added.