The Luxembourg connection: how UK channels continue broadcasting in Ireland

New channels now take longer to become available on cable and satellite platforms in the Republic of Ireland thanks to additional regulatory hurdles.

Since Brexit, Ofcom licences aren’t valid in the Republic of Ireland. Broadcasters must now choose to either apply for a licence in the EU or remain available in the UK only.

So far in 2022, it’s meant BBC Three didn’t return to the airwaves in the Republic of Ireland at the same time as the UK. It’s also affecting the availability of international channels: this week’s addition of NBC News Now was also only for Sky UK viewers.

Most broadcasters are now licenced to broadcast in Ireland through Luxembourg’s regulator ALIA. They are eligible to apply for a Luxembourg licence as the satellites used by Sky and Freesat are owned by Luxembourg-based SES. But some broadcasters have opted to register their channels elsewhere in the EU to ensure broadcasts can continue outside of the UK. Channels only broadcasting to the UK still only require an Ofcom licence.

As of the end of the January 2022, the following channels held a broadcast licence in Luxembourg:

There have been some changes since the latest list was published.

For example 4Music has recently returned to Sky in the Republic of Ireland. Create & Craft’s licence above is registered to its old owners – the channel was sold to Hochanda Global, with changes to its service and availability on 25th February. Live 360 is now ARISE Play.

Some Sky Sports and Cinema channels temporarily rebrand for special occasions – not all are reflected in the above list.

The list also includes international broadcasters from the UK: The licence for BBC World News covers all EU countries. Sky News International is the version of the channel distributed in continental Europe.

Channels missing from the above list broadcasting in Ireland

Some broadcasters have opted to obtain their EU broadcasting licences from other regulators. For example, Discovery’s free and pay TV channels hold licences issued in the Netherlands for their Republic of Ireland versions. Warner Media’s channels including Cartoon Network Ireland are licenced through subsidiary HBO Europe in the Czech Republic.

Ireland’s own broadcasters are regulated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

Channels not licenced to broadcast in the Republic of Ireland, such as the main ITV channel, may still be received through signal overspill terrestrially and via satellite.

As a result of the Brexit regulatory changes, dozens of channels were dropped from Irish TV platforms when some broadcasters decided against applying for a separate licence.