Irish football fan buys Australian TV rights for game
An Irish football fan has bought the Australian TV rights for the Republic's World Cup qualifier against Sweden so supporters Down Under can watch it.
David Feeney said he decided to buy the rights himself out of frustration at not being able to watch his team on TV.
Originally from Dublin, Mr Feeney contacted a friend involved in broadcasting in Ireland.
He then made a bid to Kentaro, the German media company that owned the broadcast rights.
"They said my bid was too low, but that it was close. Then I raised the bid and they said OK," Mr Feeney said.
Through a partnership with a horse-racing channel, the game - on 6 September - will now be shown via a closed-circuit system at a number of venues across Australia.
Mr Feeney has also secured England's qualifier away to Ukraine.
He has used his home as security to borrow the money to buy the rights costing "tens of thousands of dollars".
The Dubliner said the hardest person to convince in the whole process had been his wife.
"She was hardest to convince all right, but we have an agreement that if it the venture makes any money, she gets to keep it," he said.