Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

Guide to sport on television (Monday – Sunday, Dec 16th – 22nd)

Soccer

What a European campaign it has been for Shamrock Rovers. The Dublin club has more than held its own in the opening five rounds of the Uefa Conference League. Already guaranteed a knock-out phase play-off spot, Rovers take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this week with the realistic target of achieving an automatic last 16 spot. – Thursday, TNT Sports

Rugby

Two big men’s interprovincials take place at the weekend, with Ulster hosting Munster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday evening, and Connacht travelling to the Aviva Stadium the following day to take on Leinster. While Leinster have seven wins from seven in this season’s URC, the other three all have four defeats each on their competition dance card already. A derby win is always a huge boost for an Irish side. – Friday & Saturday, TG4, RTÉ & Premier Sports

Boxing

The rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will take place on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Last May, the Ukrainian became the undisputed heavyweight champion (holding the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO belts) when he took a split decision over the Irish/English man. Since then, the IBF have stripped Usyk of their belt (for failing to fight a mandatory opponent), so this weekend will not be for undisputed status, but it will still be for the claim to be the best heavyweight boxer in the world. – Saturday, Sky Box Office

MONDAY (Dec 16th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 4 – Midnight Timberwolves @ Spurs
  • NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am Packers @ Seahawks
  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.40am – Day 2 Women: South Africa v England
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – BBC 2, 4.55pm-5.45pm Women’s Euro 2025 draw
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Bournemouth v West Ham
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 2 – 8pm Fleetwood v Accrington Stanley
  • GAA – TG4, 8pm-9pm Club highlights
  • CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.45pm – 3rd Test, D4 New Zealand v England

TUESDAY (Dec 17th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 4 – 0.30am Cavaliers @ Nets
  • NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1am Bears @ Vikings
  • NFL – Sky Sports Mix – 1.30am Falcons @ Raiders
  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.40am – Day 3 Women: South Africa v England
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – DAZN – Women’s Champions League – 5.45pm Real Madrid v Chelsea, 5.45pm Twente v Celtic, 8pm Lyon v Wolfsburg, 8pm Roma v Galatasaray
  • SPORTS – BBC 1, 7pm-9pm Sports Personality of the Year
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Coppa Italia – 8pm Juventus v Cagliari
  • CRICKET – TNT Sports 1 from 9.45pm – 3rd Test, D5 New Zealand v England

WEDNESDAY (Dec 18th)

  • CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.40am – Day 4 Women: South Africa v England
  • SOCCER – DAZN – Women’s Champions League – 5.45pm Barcelona v Man City, 5.45pm St Pölten v Hammarby, 8pm Juventus v Vålerenga
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Main Event – League Cup – 7.30pm Arsenal v Crystal Palace
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – League Cup – 7.45pm Newcastle v Brentford
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League Cup – 8pm Southampton v Liverpool
  • SOCCER – DAZN & TNT Sports 1 – Women’s Champions League – 8pm Arsenal v Bayern Munich

THURSDAY (Dec 19th)

  • GOLF Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am-1.30pm Mauritius Open
  • DARTS Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER Sky Sports Football – League Cup – 8pm Tottenham v Man Utd
  • SOCCER TNT Sports 1 – Conference League – 8pm Chelsea v Shamrock Rovers
  • SOCCER TNT Sports 2 – Conference League – 8pm Hearts v Petrocub
  • SOCCER TNT Sports 3 – Conference League – 8pm Larne v Gent
  • SOCCER TNT Sports 4 – Conference League – 8pm Celje v The New Saints
  • SOCCER Premier Sports 1 – Serie A – 8pm Inter v Udinese

FRIDAY (Dec 20th)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – Midnight Thunder @ Magic, 2.30am Knicks @ Timberwolves
  • NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Broncos @ Chargers
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am-1.30pm Mauritius Open
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Bundesliga – 7.30pm Bayern Munich v Leipzig
  • RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 7.35pm Ulster v Munster
  • RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – Premiership – 7.45pm Gloucester v Harlequins
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Scottish Premiership – 7.45pm Motherwell v Kilmarnock
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Luton v Derby

SATURDAY (Dec 21st)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 0.30am Bucks @ Cavaliers
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 9am-1.30pm Mauritius Open
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Aston Villa v Man City
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Portsmouth v Coventry City
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Championship – 12.30pm Hull v Swansea
  • RUGBY – TG4 – URC – 1.45pm Stormers v Lions
  • RACING – Virgin Media One & ITV4, 1.30pm-4pm Ascot
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Brentford v Nottingham Forest
  • RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3.05pm Leicester v Bristol, 5.30pm Sale v Exeter
  • RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 2 – URC – 4pm Sharks v Bulls
  • BOXING – Sky Box Office from 4pm – Riyadh Moses Itauma v Demsey McKean, Serhii Bohachuk v Israil Madrimov, Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury
  • RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 5.15pm Ospreys v Scarlets
  • RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 5.30pm Leinster v Connacht
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 5.30pm Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Crystal Palace v Arsenal
  • NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Texans @ Chiefs, 9.30pm Steelers @ Ravens
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & ITV4 – Serie A – 8pm Barcelona v Atlético Madrid
  • SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.40pm Match of the Day
  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 11pm Lakers @ Kings

SUNDAY (Dec 22nd)

  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 1.30am Clippers @ Mavericks
  • GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6am-11am Mauritius Open
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – Noon Dundee Utd v Celtic
  • DARTS – Sky Sports Darts, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 2pm Fulham v Southampton, 4.30pm Tottenham v Liverpool
  • EQUESTRIAN – BBC 2, 2.30pm-4.45pm London International Horse Show
  • SOCCER – Sky Sports+ – Championship – 3pm West Brom v Bristol City
  • RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3pm Saracens v Northampton
  • RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – URC – 3pm Glasgow v Edinburgh
  • SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 3.15pm Real Madrid v Sevilla
  • NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Eagles @ Commanders, 9.05pm Vikings @ Seahawks, 1.20am Buccaneers @ Cowboys
  • SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Monza v Juventus
  • NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 11pm Rockets @ Raptors
  • SOCCER – BBC 1, 11.15pm-0.40am Match of the Day 2
Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen

Damian Cullen is Health & Family Editor of The Irish Times