AFTER WEEKS OF build-up, Euro 2016 is finally upon us as hosts France face Romania at the Stade de France.
The European Championships is bigger, and arguably better, than ever before with 24 nations battling it for continental supremacy over the course of the next four weeks.
In total, there are 51 games down for decision over 31 days with four broadcasters providing wall-to-wall coverage.
With an expanded tournament comes expanded television coverage and TV3 have joined the party after buying a package of games off RTÉ.
It all means there is more choice than ever and more scope for channel-hopping as you decide whether to listen to Dunphy, Souness or Henry.
RTÉ
Presenters: Darragh Maloney and Peter Collins
Reporters: Tony O’Donoghue and Dave Kelly
Commentators: George Hamilton, Stephen Alkin, John Kenny and Ger Canning
Pundits and co-commentators: Ronnie Whelan, Didi Hamann, John Giles, Liam Brady, Brian Kerr, Jim Beglin, Mark Kinsella, Kenny Cunningham, Richie Sadlier, Damien Duff, Stephanie Roche, Ray Houghton, Stephen Hunt and Clinton Morrison.
You know what you’re going to get from the national broadcaster. They’ve been here and done it all before, bringing the nation on a journey of exhilarating highs and crushing lows and this summer is sure to be no different.
In a sign of the times, Montrose chiefs decided to sub-licence a portion of the games but RTÉ has retained the stand-out group games and, more significantly, each of Ireland’s three fixtures.
The holy trinity of Giles, Dunphy and Brady will call the shots with Darragh Maloney in the hot seat for what will be the first major tournament since the passing of the legendary Bill O’Herlihy.
Click here to view who will be on the panel for each of the games.
TV3
Presenter: Tommy Martin
Commentators: Trevor Welch and Dave McIntyre
Pundits and co-commentators: Graeme Souness, Neil Lennon, Harry Redknapp, Kevin Kilbane, Gerry Armstrong, Lawrie Sanchez, Emma Byrne, Keith Andrews, Joey Barton, Uwe Rosler and Paul McShane.
TV3 are really branching into the sports coverage market have demonstrated their capacity to deliver a quality product during last year’s Rugby World Cup. Ballymount bosses have thrown a lot of resources into their coverage and that’s reflected in the calibre of pundit they have for this tournament.
During the latter stages of last season’s Champions League, TV3 really came into their own and you feel as time goes on they’re becoming more and more adept at giving viewers what they want.
Graeme Souness, who will be the mainstay of their panel, is as highly regarded as they come while the likes of Joey Barton, Paul McShane and Keith Andrews will bring fresh voices to the panel.
They might not have got the pick of the group fixtures for the initial phase of the tournament but TV3 are no mugs at this game and you’d expect them to really throw down the gauntlet to RTÉ.
BBC
Presenters: Gary Lineker
Reporters: Gabby Logan, Stephen Watson, Dan Walker, Jason Mohammed and Eilidh Barbour
Commentators: Simon Brotherton, Steve Wilson, Guy Mowbray and Jonathan Pearce
Pundits/co-commentators: Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, Robbie Savage, John Hartson, Jens Lehmann, Vincent Kompany, Frank Lampard, Neil Lennon, Jurgen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli, Danny Murphy, Martin Keown, Kevin Kilbane, Mark Lawrenson and Gerry Armstrong
Once again, the BBC and ITV are sharing the UK television rights for the tournament so it means Irish viewers (excluding Virgin Media customers with UTV Ireland) will have the luxury of choosing between British and Irish coverage.
Both BBC and ITV have huge budgets and have a quality line-up of pundits and guests with the former boasting a particularly impressive team. Thierry Henry and Rio Ferdinand come across from Sky and BT Sport respectively while MOTD regulars such as Shearer, Keown, Jenas and Savage will also be central to BBC’s coverage.
Jens Lehmann, Vincent Kompany and Frank Lampard are notable additions and will provide more depth to their coverage, which will be anchored once again by Gary Lineker.
Lehmann is a particularly fascinating one having impressed on German TV for the last number of seasons. Coming from the school of the recently retired player turned pundit, the former goalkeeper says it how it is and certainly isn’t afraid of criticising if he feels the need to.
ITV
Presenter: Mark Pougatch
Reporters: Gabriel Clarke and Leon Mann
Commentators: Clive Tyldesley, Sam Matterface, Joe Speight
Pundits/co-commentators: Slaven Bilic, Lothar Matthaus, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wright, Lee Dixon, Peter Crouch, Tony Pulis, Emmanuel Petit, Christian Karembeu, Louis Saha, Norman Whiteside, Eniola Aluko, Iain Dowie, Andy Townsend and Richard Dunne
Our very own Richard Dunne will be part of the ITV team for the tournament after making his punditry debut on TV3 a couple of months ago. As mentioned above, ITV have significant resources behind them and have enticed some interesting names on board, including Louis Saha and Slaven Bilic.
Mark Pougatch will front the coverage following the departure of Adrian Chiles and nothing says major tournament football than the dulcet tones of Clive Tyldesley on a Tuesday afternoon.
While what happens on the pitch ultimately makes a European Championships so special, how we consume the games and who we listen to also shapes our memory of these footballing parties.
Position yourselves on that couch and don’t move for the next month. Let the games begin!
Euro 2016 TV guide
Friday 10 June
- Group A: France v Romania, 8pm – ITV and RTÉ
Saturday 11 June
- Group A: Albania v Switzerland, 2pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group B: Wales v Slovakia, 5pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group B: England v Russia, 8pm – ITV and TV3
Sunday 12 June
- Group D: Turkey v Croatia, 2pm – ITV and TV3
- Group C: Poland v Northern Ireland, 5pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group C: Germany v Ukraine, 8pm – BBC1 and TV3
Monday 13 June
- Group D: Spain v Czech Republic, 2pm – ITV and TV3
- Group E: Republic of Ireland v Sweden, 5pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group E: Belgium v Italy, 8pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
Tuesday 14 June
- Group F: Austria v Hungary, 5pm – ITV and TV3
- Group F: Portugal v Iceland, 8pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
Wednesday 15 June
- Group B: Russia v Slovakia, 2pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group A: Romania v Switzerland, 5pm – ITV and TV3
- Group A: France v Albania, 8pm – ITV and TV3
Thursday 16 June
- Group B: England v Wales, 2pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group C: Ukraine v Northern Ireland, 5pm – ITV and TV3
- Group C: Germany v Poland, 8pm – ITV and RTÉ
Friday 17 June
- Group E: Italy v Sweden, 2pm – ITV and RTÉ
- Group D: Czech Republic v Croatia, 5pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group D: Spain v Turkey, 8pm – ITV and TV3
Saturday 18 June
- Group E: Belgium v Republic of Ireland, 2pm – ITV and RTÉ
- Group F: Iceland v Hungary, 5pm – BBC1 and TV3
- Group F: Portugal v Austria, 8pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
Sunday 19 June
- Group A: Romania v Albania, 8pm – BBC4 and TV3
- Group A: Switzerland v France, 8pm – BBC1 and RTÉ
Monday 20 June
- Group B: Russia v Wales, 8pm – ITV4 and RTÉ
- Group B: Slovakia v England, 8pm – ITV and TV3
Tuesday 21 June
- Group C: Northern Ireland v Germany, 5pm BBC1 and RTÉ
- Group C: Ukraine v Poland, 5pm BBC Red Button and TV3
- Group D: Croatia v Spain, 8pm ITV and TV3
- Group D: Czech Republic v Turkey, 8pm ITV4 and RTÉ
Wednesday 22 June
- Group F: Hungary v Portugal, 5pm – BBC1 and TV3
- Group F: Iceland v Austria, 5pm BBC Red Button and RTÉ
- Group E: Italy v Republic of Ireland, 8pm ITV and RTÉ
- Group E: Sweden v Belgium, 8pm ITV4 and TV3
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
