Eir is set to leave the sports broadcasting field after a plummet in revenue, casting doubt on the future of Eir Sport.

In a statement to the Irish Independent on Thursday evening, the company said the Covid-19 pandemic and the related closure of pubs had made the Eir Sport business model effectively unviable.

It went on to say the company was exploring future options for the service.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on live sports across the world.

Matches and competitions have been canceled or postponed throughout the last year, disrupting the availability of live sports content.

"In addition, the almost complete closure of licensed premises here in Ireland has fundamentally changed the commercial model for subscription-based sports broadcasters.

"As we navigate these challenges, eir has made the decision not to partake in the latest rounds of sports rights auctions.

"There is no immediate change to the content provided by eir sport. We are currently exploring options for the future of Eir Sport."

TV and content revenue at the company fell 47% in 2020 due to the effects of Covid-19 and the loss of content rights, the company said in its most recent results statement last month.

Eir Sport, who have had the rights to Rugby's Guinness PRO14 since 2018, did not partake in the latest bidding process for future deals.

Eir Sport had the rights to the men's Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the women's tournament in 2017.

They also broadcast a variety of English and European soccer tournaments, the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland and Allianz League GAA.

It is not known where these competitions will be broadcast in the future.