Vodafone TV Launches in Ireland! Here’s All You Need To Know
Mark Whelan
Staff Writer

Vodafone has launched a TV service in Ireland, to compete with Virgin Media, Sky and eir. It comes with a remote control with a dedicated Netflix button on the remote, multi-device viewing and a discounted price for the first 6 months.

Do you know where your remote control is at this very moment?

Perhaps it’s perched neatly on the coffee table beside your favourite armchair, waiting patiently for you to spend some quality time with it on this dark January evening.

Or maybe it’s lost in the cobwebby crevice of a crusty couch…

If you’re anything like me, the latter scenarios is much more likely.

But what if that remote had a shiny Netflix button on it? Would you be more likely to keep it in a safe place? Well, we might soon find out!

That’s because today Vodafone announced the launch of its TV service in Ireland, and yes, it comes with a remote control with a dedicated Netflix button, specially designed for the modern viewer.

That’s the type of person who wants to stream Making A Murder on their TV via Netflix at night and pick up where they left off on their smartphone on the morning commute.


What Are The Details?

With this big news, Vodafone joins Virgin Media, eir and Sky as Ireland’s fourth Tripleplay provider. That’s TV, broadband and home phone all from the one provider.

TV, broadband and home phone from Vodafone costs €75 a month for the basic package. 

For that amount you get unlimited 100 Mbps broadband as well as unlimited calls to Irish landlines on top of 55 TV channels. And, for an extra tenner a month, you could get some extra channels on top of that.

You can also pick between 6 months of free Netflix and 6 months of free Setanta Sports (including BT Sports) as part of the plan.

Another nice touch is the fact that Vodafone’s Tripleplay package is discounted to €40 a month for the first 6 months. Since it’s an 18-month contract, customers will pay an average of €60 a month over the lifetime of the contract for the standard package.

There’s one catch though. You need a broadband speed of 40 Mbps to get it. But according to Vodafone, 85% of its existing customer base qualifies.

As is the case with Virgin, eir and Sky, programmes are viewable across multiple devices.


How Does it Compare?

With this move, Vodafone is entering an already-competitive telecoms market in Ireland. So how does it match-up against the incumbents?

Well, eir’s Tripleplay package comes with 100 Mbps broadband, 55 channels and unlimited calls to Irish landlines and mobiles. It costs €25 a month for the first 6 months and €77 a month for the remainder of the 18-month contract.

Virgin Media’s rival plan comes with 240 Mbps broadband, 65 channels and free calls to landlines and 400 minutes of calls to 22 international destinations. It’s discounted to €40 a month for the first 4 months and €80 a month thereafter. And, like eir, it’s an 18-month contract.

As for Sky, its Tripleplay package cost €49 a month for the first 12 months and €79.50 after that. For that price, you get 100 Mbps broadband, 56 channels (including Sky Atlantic) and evening and weekend calls to Irish landlines.


Good Times!

This latest move by Vodafone is the latest in a series of good news stories for Irish TV and broadband customers.

Internet speeds are increasing, entertainment options are growing and prices are extremely competitive. It’s a good time to be a telly-addict!

Now, to find that remote…