TV3 HAS RECLAIMED the rights to broadcast Coronation Street and Emmerdale from UTV Ireland.

The set of Coronation Street Jon Super AP / Press Association Images Jon Super AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

From the beginning of December, TV3 will air the soap operas alongside UTV Ireland, before it gets the exclusive rights to the shows from Monday 5 December.

It was announced last week that regulatory approval had been given for UTV Ireland to be sold to Virgin Media, the company that already owns TV3.

The TV3 group will now consist of three channels – TV3, the current UTV Ireland and 3e.

A schedule change for TV3 will see The Seven O’Clock Show become The Six O’Clock Show, with Xposé moving to a later primetime slot.

TV3′s group director of programming, Bill Malone, said that they will use their current line-up to “maximise viewership and to cross-promote the quality Irish programming” in development at TV3.

TV3's parent company has acquired UTV Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

A subsidiary of Liberty Global, UPC Ireland rebranded to Virgin Media Ireland last year, after purchasing TV3 for €80 million.

Read: UTV Ireland and TV3 will soon be part of one big company. What will that mean for viewers?

Read: Things are going from bad to worse at UTV Ireland

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