No single answer to geo-blocking TV content in NI - Ofcom

No single solution to geo-blocking of TV content in Northern Ireland - Ofcom

Updated / Tuesday, 27 Oct 2026 10:07

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UK communications regulator Ofcom has said there is no single technical or regulatory solution to the issue of Republic of Ireland television content being blocked in Northern Ireland.

Ofcom has released a report on the matter following a request to revisit the issue by Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy Caoimhe Archibald.

The report found two related constraints continue to drive the geo-blocking of content in Northern Ireland.

These are territorial content rights, particularly for major sport, and the limitations of using internet protocol addresses to establish that a viewer is in Northern Ireland.

"Geo-blocking remains a complex issue and one over which Ofcom has limited regulatory remit," the report found.

"Some measures may reduce individual instances of blocking, but each depends on cooperation between the rights holders, broadcasters, internet service providers (ISPs) and geolocation providers."

"Ofcom is not aware of any regulatory mechanism that would allow it to require an ISP to reserve IP
addresses for Northern Ireland, and it has no power to require a rights holder to license content on an
all-island basis," according to the report.

RTÉ told Ofcom that it seeks all-Ireland rights whenever these are available, while TG4 said it always seeks all-Ireland rights in line with its statutory remit and international rights whenever these are available.

"In many cases, however, international sporting organisations and their agents sell separate packages for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland," the report found.

"Northern Ireland is normally included within the UK package and bespoke arrangements for Northern Ireland are not always available commercially," according to Ofcom.

The regulator makes a number of recommendations including continued dialogue between the UK and Irish Governments, broadcasters, relevant sporting organisations, internet service providers, and technical providers.

"Most importantly, Ofcom considers that there may be merit in the UK and Irish Governments
considering whether the objectives of their 2010 Memorandum of Understanding on digital television
services remain fit for a media environment increasingly characterised by IP-delivered services," the report found.