Virgin Media 1
With an audience share of 10.62% (July 2023), Virgin Media One is one of the Ireland's most watched television channels. The station offers a variety of programming, including news, sports, entertainment, and current affairs. It features both original Irish content and international shows. It’s prime time schedule includes soaps such as Eastenders, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, sitcoms such as Friends, Modern Family, and Glee, and reality TV shows like The Graham Norton Show, Come Dine with Me, and America's got Talent. Virgin Media Ones news output comprises regular bulletins on Ireland AM, a three hour breakfast show which airs daily, as well as 30 minute news broadcasts at 12.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.00pm. Virgin Media One also has an online presence, offering streaming and on-demand services.
The origins of Virgin Media 1 can be traced back to 1998 when it was launched as TV3, the first terrestrial channel that was not operated by the state broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ).
Over the years, TV3 went through several changes in ownership and branding. In 1997, prior to the stations launch, Canadian communications company Canwest bought a major stake in the new company, and in 2001, Granada Media purchased a 45% share. By 2006 the group was sold to Doughty Hanson & Co. In 2015, Liberty Global acquired the channel, and it became part of the Virgin Media Television network. This acquisition marked the channel's rebranding as "3". In August 2018, Virgin Media Ireland decided to rebrand its television channels, and "3" was renamed "Virgin Media One."
Audience Share
10.62%
Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Free content
Media Companies / Groups
Liberty Global PLC
Voting Rights
Missing Data
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
1998
Affiliated Interests Founder
Was a consortium of companies and individuals active in Irish media production, which included Windmill Lane Studios, and former U2 manager Paul McGuinness, among others.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
Has been the CEO of Virgin Media Ireland since 2015. Prior to this, he spent a decade at O2/Telefonica where he held a number of board-level roles including; CEO of O2 Ireland, Consumer Director of O2 Ireland, Consumer Director of Telefonica O2 Czech Republic and Chief Commercial Officer of O2 Deutschland.
Between 1995 and 2005 he held a number of senior positions at AOL (UK) where he was an executive board member.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
Has been the head of News and Sport at Virgin Media 1 since January 2017.
Prior to this he had been the News Editor at UTV for two years. He has also worked as a senior investigative journalist at the Sunday World, and as the News Editor at the Sunday Tribune. He has been an Irish Times No1 bestselling author on two occasions.
Contact
Virgin Media Ireland
Limerick Enterprise Development Park,
Roxboro Road,
Limerick.
Website: www.virginmediatelevision.ie
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
Missing Data
Further Information
Headlines
Meta Data
Audience Share Date taken from July 2023 TV Audience Measurement Ireland report.
Within the media industry in Ireland reporting on income levels are generally at group level rather than individual title level. On top of this, overall revenue details for the market as a whole are unavailable. Due to these factors it is not possible to report accurately on market share for individual titles or groups.
