From next season Irish Sky viewers will be getting a lot more Premier League action

Including games not shown in Britain.

Sky Sports have announced that from next season they will show a record 159 Premier League matches a season exclusively live to Republic of Ireland customer.

The new deal runs up to the 2018-19 season and included are 33 Saturday 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League each season.

.@SkySports will show a record 159 Premier League matches a season exclusively live to Republic of Ireland customers from next season

— Sky Ireland (@SkyIreland) November 12, 2015

These matches will only be shown to customers in the Republic of Ireland. Broadcasters in Britain are barred from televising Saturday afternoon games live. The regulation was put in place to ensure attendances did not suffer as a result of television.

Up until now Sky didn’t differentiate between the live football available here and across the water, but now Irish viewers will have exclusive access to these games.

And for the first time ever, @SkySports will show 3pm Saturday and Friday evening live PL matches to viewers in Republic of Ireland

— Sky Ireland (@SkyIreland) November 12, 2015

The package also includes the right to broadcast the Premier League's first regular Friday night matches, which start next season.

That move may be popular with Premier League fans, but League of Ireland supporters will be concerned about an impact on their Friday night attendances.

@SkyIreland @seidodge @SkySports Saturday is fine but we have our own league that play on Friday nights #promoteLOI

— Veronica Costello (@munchkin77) November 12, 2015