VIEWERS IN THE North were able to enjoy The Traitors Ireland on the RTÉ Player last year but find themselves locked out of it this time round.

While the programme is available to watch live on television in the North, it is not available on the RTÉ Player for viewers to watch live or catch-up.

The second series of the hit-show launched on Sunday night and continues every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

The first season was a huge success for RTÉ, clocking up more than 800,000 viewers on its most-watched episode.

The only player from Ulster in this year’s second series is Edelle from Co Donegal.

But while those in the North were able to watch along or catch up on the RTÉ Player last year, they find themselves geo-blocked this year (they are also blocked from catching up on last year’s series).

In a statement to The Journal, RTÉ said it “viewers in Northern Ireland can watch The Traitors Ireland series 2 on linear television but not on the RTÉ Player”.

An RTÉ spokesperson said this is “due to territorial rights restrictions” which means that “certain programmes cannot be streamed on RTÉ Player in Northern Ireland”.

The programmes that are geo-blocked in the North due to territorial rights restrictions range from the Olympics and the World Cup to Australian soap opera Home and Away.

“In these cases, such restrictions are prescribed by the rights holders, not RTÉ and are outside RTÉ’s control,” added the spokesperson.

While viewers in the North were able to watch the first series of The Traitors Ireland on the RTÉ Player, all Traitors Ireland content is now blocked on the RTÉ player for those in the North.

Viewers in the North meanwhile can watch the first series of The Traitors Ireland on the BBC iPlayer.

RTÉ brought the show to Ireland last year after the format was created in the Netherlands in 2021 and took off internationally, spreading to more than 30 countries around the world, including the UK, US, Australia, India and Ukraine.

The Journal asked RTÉ why The Traitors Ireland was available to viewers in the North on the RTÉ Player last year, but not this year.

The Journal also questioned whether the second series would be available on the BBC iPlayer in the future, given that the first series is currently available on the BBC platform.

RTÉ said “that’s a question for the right’s holder, All3Media”.

The Journal has approached All3Media for comment.