Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television – The Irish Times

[Flor Lynch]

Guide to sport on television (Monday – Sunday, Mar 9th – 15th) 

Damian Cullen

Sun Mar 08 2026 - 17:01•6 MIN READ 

Racing

The four-day Cheltenham Festival takes place this week, with many racing fans making the trip across the Irish Sea to Gloucester. The Grade One races include the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, Ryanair Chase on Thursday, and Gold Cup on Friday. - Tuesday-Friday, UTV & Virgin Media

Golf

The Players Championship tees off this week at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It is not one of golf’s four majors, but is often held in the same esteem. Rory McIlroy will, of course, be there to defend the title he claimed for a second time last year. - Thursday-Sunday, Sky Sports

Rugby

A competition within a competition, Ireland and Scotland battle at the weekend for the Triple Crown (awarded when Ireland, Scotland, England or Wales beat the other three during a Six Nations Championship). While Ireland have won the Triple Crown three times in the past four seasons, it is 1990 since Scotland last claimed the honour. - Saturday, Virgin Media & UTV

MONDAY (March 9)

• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, midnight-5am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 8am-3.40pm Winter Paralympics
• NBA - Sky Sports Action - Midnight Rockets @ Spurs, 2am Hornets @ Suns
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, noon-2.45pm - Stage 1 Tirreno Adriatico
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 2.15pm-4.15pm - Stage 2 Paris-Nice
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 6pm-5am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 - FA Cup - 7.30pm West Ham v Brentford
• RUGBY - RTÉ 2, 8pm-9pm Against the Head
• GAA - TG4, 8pm-9pm Hurling League highlights
• NBA - Sky Sports Action - 11.30pm Nuggets @ Thunder, 2am Knicks @ Clippers

TUESDAY (March 10)

• SPORTS - Channel 4, 8am-3.40pm Winter Paralympics
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, noon-2.45pm - Stage 2 Tirreno Adriatico
• RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.45pm-5pm Cheltenham
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 2.15pm-4.15pm - Stage 3 Paris-Nice
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 & Premier Sports 1 - Champions League - 5.45pm Galatasaray v Liverpool
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 6pm-5am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• SOCCER - Virgin Media Two - Champions League - 8pm Newcastle v Barcelona
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 - Champions League - 8pm Atletico Madrid v Tottenham
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 2 - Champions League - 8pm Atalanta v Bayern Munich
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football – Championship - 8pm Stoke v Ipswich

WEDNESDAY (March 11)

• NBA - Sky Sports Action - Midnight Celtics @ Spurs, 3am Timberwolves @ Lakers
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 8am-3.40pm Winter Paralympics
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, noon-2.45pm - Stage 3 Tirreno Adriatico
• RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.45pm-5pm Cheltenham
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 2.15pm-4.15pm - Stage 4 Paris-Nice
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 5.30pm-3am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 3 & Virgin Media Two - Champions League - 5.45pm Bayer Leverkusen v Arsenal
• SOCCER - RTÉ 2 & TNT Sports 1 - Champions League - 8pm Real Madrid v Man City
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 2 & Virgin Media Two - Champions League - 8pm PSG v Chelsea
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 4 - Champions League - 8pm Bodø/Glimt v Sporting CP
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football – Championship - 8pm Coventry v Preston NE

THURSDAY (March 12)

• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1.30am-6.30am Women’s Australian Open
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 7.50am-1.35pm Winter Paralympics
• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am-11pm The Players Championship
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, noon-2.45pm - Stage 4 Tirreno Adriatico
• RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.45pm-5pm Cheltenham
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 2.15pm-4.15pm - Stage 5 Paris-Nice
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 5.30pm-4am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 & Premier Sports 1 - Europa League - 5.45pm Lille v Aston Villa, 8pm Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland
• DARTS - Sky Sports Action, 7pm-11pm - Nottingham Premier League
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 2 & Premier Sports 2 - Conference League - 8pm Crystal Palace v AEK Larnaca

FRIDAY (March 13)

• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1.30am-6.30am Women’s Australian Open
• F1 - Sky Sports F1 from 3am - Practice & Qualifying Chinese Grand Prix
• RUGBY - Sky Sports Plus - Super Rugby - 6.05am Hurricanes v W Force
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 7.50am-2.25pm Winter Paralympics
• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am-11pm The Players Championship
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, noon-2.45pm - Stage 5 Tirreno Adriatico
• RACING - UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.45pm-5pm Cheltenham
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 2.15pm-4.15pm - Stage 6 Paris-Nice
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 6pm-3am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• RUGBY - TG4 & Premier Sports 2 – URC - 7.45pm Connacht v Scarlets
• RUGBY - Premier Sports 1 – URC - 7.45pm Edinburgh v Ulster
• SOCCER - Virgin Media Two - League of Ireland - 8pm Sligo v Shamrock Rovers
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football – Championship - 8pm Wrexham v Swansea

SATURDAY (March 14)

• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1am-6am Women’s Australian Open
• F1 - Sky Sports F1 from 2.25am; Channel 4, 2pm-3.30pm (deferred) - Sprint & Qualifying Chinese Grand Prix
• RUGBY - Sky Sports Plus - Super Rugby - 3.35am Fijian Drua v Brumbies, 6.05am Crusaders v Highlanders, 8.35am Reds v Waratahs
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 7.50am-2pm Winter Paralympics
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 4, noon-3pm - Stage 6 Tirreno Adriatico
• RUGBY - TG4 & Premier Sports 1 – URC - Noon Bulls v Stormers
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 1, 12.30pm-2.30pm - Stage 7 Paris-Nice
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football – Championship - 12.30pm Coventry v Southampton
• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-11pm The Players Championship
• RUGBY - Virgin Media One & UTV - Men’s 6N - 2.10pm Ireland v Scotland
• SOCCER - TG4 - Women’s Premier Division - 2.30pm Shelbourne v Treaty Utd
• SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 - Premier League - 3pm Sunderland v Brighton
• GAA - RTÉ 1 - Football League - 4pm Kerry v Mayo
• RUGBY - RTÉ 2 & BBC 1 - Men’s 6N - 4.40pm Wales v Italy
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - Premier League - 5.30pm Arsenal v Everton
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Premier League - 5.30pm Chelsea v Newcastle
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 6pm-2am - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• GAA - TG4 - Football League - 7pm Dublin v Armagh
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 - Premier League - 8pm West Ham v Man City
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - Scottish Premiership - 8pm Kilmarnock v Hearts
• RUGBY - RTÉ 2 & UTV - Men’s 6N - 8.10pm France v England
• SOCCER - BBC 1, 10.20pm-11.30pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (March 15)

• UFC - TNT Sports 2 from midnight - Las Vegas Josh Emmett v Kevin Vallejos
• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1am-6am Women’s Australian Open
• RUGBY - Sky Sports Plus - Super Rugby - 2.35am Blues v Moana Pasifika
• F1 - Sky Sports F1 from 5.30am; Channel 4, 1pm-3.30pm (deferred) Shanghai Chinese Grand Prix
• SPORTS - Channel 4, 7.50am-1pm Winter Paralympics
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Plus - Women’s Super League - 11.55am Aston Villa v Man City, 11.55am Liverpool v Leicester City, 11.55am London City v Arsenal, 11.55am Tottenham v Everton
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - Scottish Premiership - Noon St Mirren v Rangers
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 2, 12.15pm-2.45pm - Final stage Tirreno Adriatico
• GOLF - Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-10.30pm The Players Championship
• GAA - TG4 - Football League - 1.30pm Roscommon v Donegal, 3.45pm Monaghan v Galway
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Main Event - 2pm Man Utd v Aston Villa
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Football - Premier League - 2pm Crystal Palace v Leeds
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Premier League - 2pm Nottingham Forest v Fulham
• SOCCER - Premier Sports 1 - Scottish Premiership - 2pm Dundee v Dundee Utd
• CYCLING - TNT Sports 3, 2.15pm-4pm - Final stage Paris-Nice
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Mix - Women’s League Cup Final - 2.15pm Chelsea v Man Utd
• SOCCER - BBC 2 & Sky Sports Football - NI League Cup Final - 3pm Glentoran v Linfield
• SOCCER - Premier Sports 2 - La Liga - 3.15pm Barcelona v Sevilla
• RUGBY - RTÉ 2 - U20 6N - 3.15pm Ireland v Scotland
• RUGBY - TNT Sports 1 - 3.30pm Premiership Cup Final
• SOCCER - Sky Sports Main Event - Premier League - 4.30pm Liverpool v Tottenham
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 2 - Serie A - 5pm Como v Roma
• TENNIS - Sky Sports Tennis, 5.30pm-11pm - ATP/WTA Indian Wells Open
• RUGBY - Virgin Media Two - U20 6N - 5.45pm France v England
• RUGBY - BBC 2, 6pm-7pm; Virgin Media Two, 10pm-11pm Six Nations highlights
• SPORTS - Channel 4 & 4Seven, 7pm-10pm -Winter Paralympics Closing Ceremony
• SOCCER - TNT Sports 1 - Serie A - 7.45pm Lazio v AC Milan
• GAA - RTÉ 2, 9.35pm-11.05pm League Sunday
• SOCCER - BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.40pm Match of the Day
• NBA - Sky Sports Main Event - Midnight Warriors @ Knicks