Scenes of high drama, nail-biting finales and supposed curses shattered after generations of heartache – it has proven to be a truly unmissable summer of sport. Limerick, so ruthless in their return to the heights of all-Ireland hurling, before Mayo’s fairytale moment banished 75 years of pent-up pain and disappointment in a single Sunday afternoon in Croke Park.  

The expanded 2026 World Cup also delivered plenty of memorable football, even if the tournament has often felt unmistakably American in its presentation, despite Mexico and Canada’s contribution. Hydration breaks, hyper commercialism and a Super Bowl-style half-time show, not to mention the ever-present influence of Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino at times threatened to distract from the action. Even going so far as to show favour to the host team. Thankfully, football was the tournaments enduring legacy.

All of which capped a sporting summer to remember the world over. The suspense and surprise that only sport can deliver, supercharged by fandoms and families celebrating moments, years – and sometimes decades – in the making.

For sport audiences in Northern Ireland, though, summer viewing options were once again limited by location, effectively grounded by geo-blocking. Since as far back as 2009 and the launch of its online player, RTÉ has restricted content – major sporting events included – from being viewed outside Ireland on copyright and licensing grounds.

Indeed, the unique nature of the Irish sporting landscape makes geo-blocking particularly problematic. Many sports and competitions operate on an all-island basis, transcending the border in every meaningful sense, from participation and governance to supporter engagement. Yet broadcasts are often only viewable in 26 counties. While geo-blocking may have commercial merits, allowing content rights to be sold on a market-by-market basis, and remains commonplace internationally, its application in Ireland fails to reflect the reality of all-island sport. In doing so, it excludes the fourth province while simultaneously overlooking the significant revenue sporting bodies derive from supporters in Northern Ireland through jersey sales, merchandise and other commercial activity.

To the credit of the GAA, all games by Ireland’s national broadcaster can be viewed north of the border. So then why is Rugby, as one example, different? It is a source of considerable frustration in our house that we are not able to access RTE’s great coverage and analysis of the Six Nations, one of the greatest sporting tournaments in the world.

The IRFU is a 32-county sporting body, with international players drawn from all four provinces and Ulster Rugby throughout its history having made an outstanding contribution to the sport in Ireland. Yet supporters of Ireland from across the island are not afforded equal access to broadcast coverage, preventing many from sharing in the experience of cheering on their national team. This unequal treatment carries consequences beyond inconvenience, it can create a genuine sense of exclusion from a shared sporting occasion.

Geo-blocking is the red card to sport’s role as the ultimate unifier. A digital border that runs against the all-inclusive consumption habits of online streaming, where platforms like Netflix have quickly normalised the consumer-friendly rollout of all content being available in all territories. That is the digital-first future we already inhabit. Geo-blocking, on the face of it, feels like a feature out of time. Especially when you factor in widespread workarounds (VPNs) and the use of ‘dodgy sticks’.

Then there is the Good Friday Agreement which has enshrined the right of all the people in Northern Ireland to identify as Irish or British, or both with increasing alignment and co-operation across the island in areas such as tourism, transport, energy, business, health and culture.  How does that square with Geo-blocking? It doesn’t.

Media and digital connectivity have refused to keep pace with changing dynamics and audience expectations that have evolved far faster than broadcasting models. There are, at least, signs of a turning tide in the form of the Broadcasting (All Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill 2025. Tabled by TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, will it bring about the equal access to RTÉ content – from sport and programming to live news – for viewers across the island?

Rights holders are not being held to account to deliver for their audiences, passionate that they are. This is about an online presence that is on one hand fit-for-purpose in this era of streaming, and fundamentally inclusive for an Irish audience. A future-fit solution, whether that involves NI viewers contributing to RTÉ’s licensing fee in order to access, in contrast to ringfencing those same viewers outside of RTÉ’s remit altogether.

Many people in Northern Ireland listen to RTÉ radio, follow RTÉ sport and watch RTÉ news bulletins – which were recently being ‘unblocked’ as recent as 2024. Equally, from the broadcaster’s perspective, RTÉ consistently covers NI politics and elections, economic issues and opportunities that echo over the border, and the many shared cultural events such as last week’s fabulous Belfast Fleadh. A celebration of Irish music and culture deserving of the world stage.

To that end, RTÉ is already speaking to an all-island audience. Surely, then, it is time for leadership to match, with cross-party engagement across British and Irish governments, regulators, broadcasters and the internet service providers behind geo-blocking in the first place. Like that buzz of anticipation before a game, hopefully momentum is building. The audience are already in their seats. All that’s missing is for progressive policymakers to blow the whistle on geo-blocking and begin a new era of inclusive content for audiences north and south.