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

Sun Oct 18 2026 - 17:01 • 7 MIN READ

Basketball

The 2026/27 NBA season begins this week, and will run until next June. The New York Knicks are defending champions. – From Tuesday, Sky Sports

Rugby

Regardless of the day, year or competition, Leinster versus Munster is always a big game. Both sides will be looking to put down an early-season marker at the Aviva. – Saturday, Premier Sports

Athletics

More than 20,000 runners, joggers and walkers will line up on Leeson Street Lower for the 2026 Dublin Marathon at the weekend. – Sunday, TG4

MONDAY (October 19th)

• NFL – Sky Sports Action – 1.20am Cowboys @ Packers
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 4, 10am-noon, 1pm-5pm, 7pm-11pm NI Open
• GAA – TG4, 7.30pm-8.30pm Club highlights
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Two – League of Ireland – 8pm Derry City v St Pat’s Ath
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Tottenham v Coventry

TUESDAY (October 20th)

• NFL – Sky Sports Action – 1.15am Commanders @ 49ers
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 8.30am – Men’s ODI Pakistan v England
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 4, 10am-noon, 1pm-5pm, 7pm-11pm NI Open
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Champions League – 5.45pm Fenerbahçe v Slavia Prague
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Two & TNT Sports 2 - Champions League - 5.45pm Sabah FK v Borussia Dortmund, 8pm PSG v Barcelona
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 7pm-9.30pm World Championships
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Plus – Championship – 7.45pm Wolves v Portsmouth
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & Amazon Prime - Champions League - 8pm Liverpool v Villarreal
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Champions League – 8pm Man City v AEK Athens
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 2 – 8pm Gillingham v Port Vale
• NBA – Sky Sports Mix – 8pm Celtics @ Pistons

WEDNESDAY (October 21st)

• NBA – Sky Sports Main Event – Midnight 76ers @ Knicks, 2.30am Thunder @ Spurs
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 4, 10am-noon, 1pm-5pm NI Open
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Two & TNT Sports 2 - Champions League - 5.45pm Como v Man Utd
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 7pm-9pm World Championships
• SOCCER – RTÉ 2, Premier Sports 1 & TNT Sports 1 - Champions League - 8pm Bayern Munich v Arsenal
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Two & TNT Sports 4 - Champions League - 8pm Real Madrid v RB Leipzig
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Champions League – 8pm Aston Villa v Viking
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 4 – Champions League – 5.45pm Lille v Galatasaray
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 – 8pm Reading v Leyton Orient

THURSDAY (October 22nd)

• GOLF – Sky Sports Plus, 3.30am-8am BMW Ladies Championship
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3am-9am Genesis Championship
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 8.30am – Men’s ODI Sri Lanka v England
• CYCLING – TNT Sports 2, 10am-noon 2027 Tour de France route presentation
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 4, 1pm-5pm, 7pm-11pm NI Open
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-9pm Bermuda Championship
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & TNT Sports 1 - Europa League - 5.45pm Lech Poznań v Sunderland
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Conference League – 5.45pm Trabzonspor v Hearts
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Conference League – 5.45pm Jablonec v Brighton; Europa League – 8pm Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace
• DARTS – ITV4, 6pm-10pm European Championship
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 7pm-9pm World Championships
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & TNT Sports 3 - Europa League - 8pm Celtic v Celta Vigo
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Europa League – 8pm Bournemouth v AC Milan

FRIDAY (October 23rd)

• NFL – Sky Sports Action – 1.15am Patriots @ Bears
• GOLF – Sky Sports Plus, 3am-8am BMW Ladies Championship
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3am-9am Genesis Championship
• RUGBY LEAGUE – Premier Sports 2 – Women’s World Cup – 7am Samoa v Wales; Men’s World Cup – 10am Tonga v Lebanon
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 4, 1pm-4.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm NI Open
• RACING – UTV, 1pm-4pm Cheltenham & Doncaster
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-9pm Bermuda Championship
• DARTS – ITV4, 6pm-10pm European Championship
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 6pm – Practice US Grand Prix
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Two – League of Ireland - 7.45pm Bohemians v Shelbourne
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 1 – URC - 7.45pm Connacht v Zebre
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 7.45pm Edinburgh v Lions
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – Premiership – 7.45pm Gloucester v Bath
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Ipswich v Nottingham Forest
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Bolton v Middlesbrough
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 8pm-9pm World Championships

SATURDAY (October 24th)

• GOLF – Sky Sports Plus, 3am-8am BMW Ladies Championship
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4.30am-9am Genesis Championship
• RUGBY LEAGUE – Premier Sports 1 – Men’s World Cup – 7am England v France; Women’s World Cup – 10am Australia v England
• DARTS – ITV4, noon-4pm, 6pm-10pm European Championship
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Aston Villa v Man City
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Charlton v Norwich
• SOCCER – BBC 1 – Women’s Super League – 12.45pm Tottenham v Arsenal
• RACING – UTV & Virgin Media One, 12.45pm-4pm Cheltenham, Doncaster & Newbury
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 12.45pm Bulls v Ulster, 3pm Benetton v Glasgow
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 1pm-5pm World Championships
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 3, 1pm-4.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm NI Open
• RUGBY – TG4 YouTube & RugbyPass – Women’s Test – 2pm South Africa v Ireland
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Arsenal v Everton
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – Premiership – 3.05pm Leicester v Northampton, 5.30pm Bristol v Exeter
• GAA - TG4 YouTube - Shinty-Hurling/Camogie international - 4pm Women: Ireland v Scotland; 6pm Men: Ireland v Scotland
• SOCCER - TG4 - Women’s Premier Division - 4.35pm Galway Utd v Shelbourne
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Women’s Super League – 5.15pm Brighton v West Ham Utd
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Chelsea v Tottenham
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – URC – 6pm Leinster v Munster
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-9pm Bermuda Championship
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 6.15pm – Practice & Qualifying US Grand Prix
• UFC – TNT Sports 2 from 7pm A Volkanovski v M Evloev
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 & S4C – URC - 7pm Ospreys v Dragons
• GAA – RTÉ 2 – Dublin SHC Final – 7.15pm Cuala v Kilmacud Crokes
• SOCCER – ITV4, 10pm-11.30pm English League highlights
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.40pm Match of the Day
• NBA – Sky Sports Plus – 11pm Heat @ Hornets

SUNDAY (October 25th)

• GOLF – Sky Sports Plus, 2am-8am BMW Ladies Championship
• MOTOGP – TNT Sports 2 from 2.15am GP of Australia
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 3am-7.30am Genesis Championship
• RUGBY LEAGUE – Premier Sports 2 – Women’s World Cup – 3.15am New Zealand v France; Men’s World Cup – 5.45am New Zealand v Cook Islands, 8.30am Australia v Fiji
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – Men’s ODI Pakistan v England
• ATHLETICS – TG4, 8am-12.30pm Dublin Marathon
• DARTS – ITV4, noon-4pm, 6pm-10pm European Championship
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Mix – Women’s Super League – Noon Crystal Palace v Chelsea, 2pm Liverpool v London City
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – Noon Hibernian v Celtic
• GYMNASTICS – BBC 2, 1pm-5pm World Championships
• SNOOKER – TNT Sports 2, 1pm-4pm, 7pm-10pm NI Open
• RACING – UTV, 1.15pm-4pm Aintree, Market Rasen & Galway
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 1.30pm-3.30pm – ATP GP Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Final
• NFL – Virgin Media Two & Sky Sports Action - 1.30pm Steelers @ Saints
• GAA – TG4 – Kilkenny SHC Final – 1.45pm Ballyhale Shamrocks v Tullaroan; Limerick SHC Final – 3.45pm Na Piarsaigh v Kilmallock
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Scottish Premiership – 2pm Motherwell v Hearts
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Main Event – Premier League – 2pm Man Utd v Bournemouth
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Plus – Women’s Super League – 2pm Birmingham v Charlton, 2pm Everton v Aston Villa
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Golf – Premier League – 2pm Hull City v Brentford
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Plus – Premier League – 2pm Crystal Palace v Newcastle
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 2pm Liverpool v Brighton, 4.30pm Sunderland v Leeds
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – Premiership – 3pm Harlequins v Saracens
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Tennis, 3.30pm-5.30pm – ATP European Open Final
• SOCCER – Amazon Prime – Bundesliga – 4.30pm Freiburg v Bayern Munich
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 5pm-8pm Bermuda Championship
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 5.30pm Celta Vigo v Real Betis
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Women’s Super League – 6pm Man Utd v Man City
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 6.30pm US Grand Prix
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Udinese v Milan
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8.30pm Barcelona v Real Madrid
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 11.30pm-0.45am Match of the Day
• NFL – Sky Sports Action – 0.20am Chiefs @ Seahawks

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Damian Cullen is Health & Family Editor of The Irish Times

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