TG4 is marking its 30th anniversary with the launch of a revamped streaming service, a new digital news offering and a major advertising campaign as it looks to expand its audience and strengthen Irish-language broadcasting.
The broadcaster, which began life as Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG) on October 31, 1996, will launch TG4+ this weekend, replacing its existing TG4 Player with an enhanced digital platform.
The new service will provide access to more than 690 box sets, 9,200 programmes and 4,600 hours of content, including an additional 50 hours of drama with Irish-language subtitles.
Viewers will also be able to search specifically for subtitled programmes, while the second series of crime drama CRÁ will be released on the platform on November 3.
TG4 said the developments reflected its ambition to become a platform-neutral public service broadcaster, making its programmes available to audiences across traditional television and digital services.
The anniversary celebrations will also include a new Súil Eile advertising campaign, developed with creative agency The Tenth Man and filmmakers the McGloughlin Brothers, with photography by Kevin Goss-Ross.
The campaign highlights the distinctive perspective that TG4 and the Irish language bring to Irish cultural life.
TG4 director general Deirdre Ní Choistín said the broadcaster’s original mission remained as relevant today as it was three decades ago.
“Since our establishment in 1996, the media landscape has changed beyond recognition, but our purpose remains as important as ever: to serve audiences through distinctive Irish-language public service media and to ensure that the language has a strong, visible and contemporary presence in Irish life,” she said.
She said TG4 wanted to play an active role in shaping the future of broadcasting rather than simply responding to technological change.
“As TG4 enters its fourth decade, I do not want us simply to adapt to a changing media landscape. I want us to help shape its future.”
As part of its revamp, TG4 commissioned market research agency Bricolage to examine audience attitudes towards the broadcaster, including viewers’ needs, motivations and emotional connections with its programming.
The research found that watching TG4 generated a sense of pride among audiences, while entertainment and the desire to improve or manage their mood emerged as important viewing motivations across all audience groups.
The research also helped inform the broadcaster’s renewed focus on its Súil Eile identity, which emphasises TG4’s distinctive perspective on Irish life, culture and storytelling in an increasingly competitive, English-dominated media market.
TG4 said the findings would influence its future programming strategy, scheduling, marketing and brand positioning, helping the broadcaster respond to changing viewing habits while retaining its distinctive identity.
Ní Choistín said the challenge was to offer audiences something they could not find elsewhere, with a greater emphasis on original programming, nurturing creative talent and giving independent producers the freedom to experiment with new ideas.
The broadcaster also announced plans for a new digital news service for Nuacht TG4, designed to make Irish-language journalism more accessible.
TG4 also said its contribution to Ireland’s independent production sector continued to grow, with 79 production companies working with the broadcaster during 2025.
It estimated that its activities generated €92.8m in economic output and supported up to 1,460 jobs nationwide last year.
Before the end of 2026, TG4 plans to announce new content production contracts, including three reserved specifically for Gaeltacht areas outside Connemara.
The initiative is intended to encourage regional production, support local employment and develop creative businesses in Irish-speaking communities.
TG4 has also entered a new three-year partnership with Údarás na Gaeltachta, under which the two organisations will jointly invest €1.2m annually in skills development and support for independent production companies.
The broadcaster, which launched its dedicated children’s channel Cúla4 in 2023, said younger audiences would remain a priority.
In addition, the broadcaster said it has extended its sponsorship and broadcasting partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association until 2032, having marked 25 years of involvement with the sport.
However, Ms Ní Choistín warned that TG4’s future growth depended on sustainable public funding and ensuring its services remained easily accessible as audiences increasingly switched to internet-connected televisions and streaming platforms.
She called for the implementation of provisions contained in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 designed to give public service broadcasters greater prominence on digital platforms.
“TG4 needs to be fairly funded, and it needs to be findable. Both are essential if we are to fulfil our public service remit, sustain Irish-language creativity and ensure audiences can continue to access distinctive Irish-language programming in an increasingly competitive media environment,” she said.
