LAST UPDATE | 18 Dec 2020
JUST TWO SENIOR All-Ireland finals left to Christmas!
Keep that bubble small this weekend and enjoy this selection of live sport.
Friday
5.30pm We’ve back-to-back Champions Cup games with Scarlets hosting Toulon and then from 8pm, Montpellier’s visit to Wasps. (BT Sport)
7.30pm TG4 have live Leinster U20 hurling action, Kilkenny take on Galway in Portlaoise. Later it’s Wexford v Dublin on the station’s YouTube channel at 8pm.
7.45pm There’s one game in the Championship with Preston North End and Bristol City kicking off at 8pm with a few Irish lads on show on Sky Sports Football, no doubt.
Saturday
11.30am Crystal Palace welcome Liverpool to south London for a 12.30pm kick-off on BT Sport.
12pm Norwich City take on Cardiff City at Carrow Road for those of us without BT, with kick-off on Sky at 1230pm.
12.30pm Virgin Media Two, Channel 4 and BT Sport 2 all have coverage of Leinster’s clash with Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup.
2.30pm Southampton v Manchester City is on Premier Sports and Amazon, along with the Christmas presents I’m waiting on.
2.15pm The first All-Ireland final of the day is on TG4, Dublin meeting Galway in the U20 football showdown.
3pm Ulster travel to Gloucester for a 3.15pm Champions Cup game…
5.3opm… which is followed by Munster’s game at Clermont Auvergne. Tasty.
5pm The All-Ireland football final on the last Saturday before Christmas? It’s weird but at least it’s a familiar pairing in the six-in-a-row chasing Dubs and Mayo. Coverage is on RTÉ2 from 3.40pm and Sky Sports Mix from 4pm.
5.30pm It’s the Arteta derby as the under-pressure Arsenal boss return to Goodison Park to face an in-form Everton. Coverage from 5pm on Sky Sports Premier League.
6pm Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-da! The darts are on Sky for the evening.
7.45pm Newcastle take on Fulham at St James’ Park in an 8pm Sky Sports game.
9.30pm There’s some bonus American football action this week with the Bills and Denver from 930pm on Sky Sports NFL and then the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay from 1am or so.
9.55pm – The Saturday Game highlights programme is presented by Des Cahill with a look back at the All-Ireland senior football final.
From 12am Sunday, Jose Aldo v Marlon Vera and Stephen Thompson v Geoff Neal are the main draws in the UFC’s latest card from Vegas on BT Sport 1.
Sunday
12pm Deep breath… Brighton v Sheffield United bring up the curtain on the Premier League coverage on Sky.
1.15pm Westmeath v Meath face off for the Women’s Football IFC title at Croke Park. Coverage of this and the senior final on TG4 throws in at 1pm.
1.45pm Hearts face Celtic in a Scottish Cup decider on Premier Sports.
2.15pm Can Spurs recover from that late, late blow against Liverpool in midweek?
3.30pm It’s the big one; Dublin v Cork in the Ladies football All-Ireland senior showpiece on TG4.
4.30pm A welcome return of the Manchester United v Leeds United fixture. Can Henning Berg do a man-marking job on Noel Whelan?
5.30pm Connacht v Bristol rounds out a triple header of Champions Cup games on BT. Quins v Racing and then Toulouse v Exeter are first up.
6pm The darts are on again.
6pm The NFL games slated for Sky coverage are: Seattle Seahawks @ Washington, Kansas City Chiefs @ New Orleans Saints and, late doors, the New York Football Giants visit to Cleveland.
9.30pm – The last Sunday Game highlights programme of the year with the ladies football finals the focus on RTÉ 2.
