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Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Harry Dee Harry Dee London, United Kingdom Last Updated: June 2025 SIC J60.200IE

Revenue

€463.9m

2025

€463.9m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XX.Xm

Employees

2,687

Businesses

174

Wages

€XXX.Xm

Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland industry analysis

On a global scale, the Television Programming and Broadcasting industry in the Republic of Ireland is small. In Ireland, there are three income-generating national broadcasters that are licensed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. These are public service broadcasters Raidio Teilifis Eireann and Teilifis na Gaeilge, and commercial broadcaster Virgin Media Television. Both commercial broadcasters and PSBs rely heavily on advertising income, which has been weak over the past few years. The industry comprises a preponderance of community TV broadcasters, operating as not-for-profit broadcasters that are, predominantly, bankrolled by sponsorship and provide cultural and heritage programming.

Trends and Insights

  • PSBs suffer from frozen funding. TV license fees have been frozen since 2016, which has limited expansion opportunities for RTE and TG4.
  • There are few nationwide broadcasters in Ireland. Only three organisations are registered to broadcast nationally in Ireland: RTE, TG4 and Virgin Media. Most channels in Ireland are broadcast from the UK.
  • Broadcasters follow the spread of the economy. That’s why Dublin dominates – it has the largest share of the Irish population and the most economic activity of any region.
  • Other forms of entertainment provide a big threat. The most prominent of these is streaming services – people like to be able to watch what they want, when they want, with the ever-growing content libraries of streaming giants drawing them in.
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Competitors

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €463.9m in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Ireland's small market puts it at a disadvantage against foreign broadcasters

  • There are three nationwide broadcasters licensed under the supervision of Coimisiún na Meán. These are PSBs RTE and Teilifis na Gaeilge (TG4) and the large commercial broadcaster Virgin Media Television. Irish free-to-air broadcast service Saorview only broadcasts 16 nationwide channels, three of which are time-shifted +1 channels.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Broadcasters are likely to be confronted by a challenging operating environment moving forward

  • Next-generation multimedia platforms are projected to continue to entice new viewership at the expense of traditional TV broadcasting. PwC forecasts that the Irish video-on-demand (VOD) will grow at an 8.9% compound annual growth rate to €299 million by 2028. Irish subscriptions to VOD services are expected to rise from 1.8 million in 2023 to 2.6 million in 2028.

Biggest companies in the Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (€m)
2025
Raidio Teilifis Eireann
210.7
Virgin Media Ireland Ltd
75.5
Teilifis Na Gaeilge
57.1

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Public-service programming and broadcasting and Commercial programming and broadcasting. Public-service programming and broadcasting is the largest segment of the Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland.

Trends and Insights

Public-service broadcasters still rely of advertising

  • Public service TV broadcasting refers to not-for-profit broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests. Ireland's two public service TV broadcasters Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTE) and Teilifis Na Gaelige (TG4), are obliged to provide national, FTA publicly-available TV channels.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in the Television Programming and Broadcasting industry acquire and schedule programming content, which is subsequently broadcast to audiences via TV transmission networks. The broadcast of programming made freely available to users, in addition to programming available only on a subscription basis, falls under the scope of industry activities. The production and distribution of TV programming content are activities that are excluded from the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland include Digital free-to-air television, Digital subscription-based television, Public service television and Commercial television.

Companies

Companies covered in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland include Raidio Teilifis Eireann, Virgin Media Ireland Ltd and Teilifis Na Gaeilge.

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland include multichannel multipoint distribution service (mmds, digital terrestrial television (dtt), free-to-air (fta), internet protocol television (iptv) and spot advertising.

Industry Code

SIC 2007

SIC 60.20 - Television Programming & Broadcasting in Ireland

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

PSBs suffer from frozen funding. TV license fees have been frozen since 2016, which has limited expansion opportunities for RTE and TG4.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

There are few nationwide broadcasters in Ireland. Only three organisations are registered to broadcast nationally in Ireland: RTE, TG4 and Virgin Media. Most channels in Irel...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Broadcasters follow the spread of the economy. That’s why Dublin dominates – it has the largest share of the Irish population and the most economic activity of any region.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Other forms of entertainment provide a big threat. The most prominent of these is streaming services – people like to be able to watch what they want, when they want, with th...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

In Ireland, broadcasters must hold a Coimisiún na Meán-issued broadcasting licence. There are two public service broadcasters and three commercial TV services operated by Vir...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Raidio Teilifis Eireann's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Virgin Media Ireland Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Teilifis Na Gaeilge's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Raidio Teilifis Eireann, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Virgin Media Ireland Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Teilifis Na Gaeilge, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Public service broadcasters benefit hugely from assistance. Their operations are funded through a mix of TV licence fee revenue, Exchequer grant-in-aid and commercial revenue...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The public service broadcasters hold profit down. RTE and TG4 both operate on a not-for-profit basis, so despite the presence of a huge number of commercial broadcasters, the...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland in 2025?

The market size of the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland is €463.9m in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland in 2025?

There are 174 businesses in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.9 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland?

The Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland?

The Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland has been growing at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland?

The biggest companies operating in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland are Raidio Teilifis Eireann, Virgin Media Ireland Ltd and Teilifis Na Gaeilge

What does the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland include?

Digital free-to-air television and Digital subscription-based television are part of the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland?

The company holding the most market share in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland is Raidio Teilifis Eireann.

How competitive is the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Television Programming & Broadcasting industry in Ireland.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Ireland include:

  • Central Statistics Office
  • Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
  • Irish Tax & Customs

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

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