How to follow 2026 Ulster Championship on BBC Sport NI
Reigning champions Donegal begin their defence against Down
- Published
The Ulster Championship is back and you can follow all the action across BBC Sport NI.
Last year's runners-up Armagh kick-start the 2026 campaign when they host Tyrone in front of the BBC cameras.
The match-up at the Athletic Grounds is one of five games to be shown live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI, including the showpiece final on Sunday, 17 May.
Here's all you need to know about this year's Ulster Championship.
What games are live on the BBC?
Five Ulster Championship matches will be live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website with analysis and in-play clips available on the website too.
As well as the preliminary round and two of the quarter finals, BBC Sport will also show one semi-final and the decider.
Sunday 12 April
Preliminary Round: Armagh v Tyrone (16.15 BST) - Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI
Saturday 18th April
Quarter-final: Derry v Antrim (17:00 BST) - Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI
Sunday 19 April
Quarter-final: Monaghan v Cavan (15:00 BST) - Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI
Saturday 25 April
Quarter-final: Fermanagh v Armagh/Tyrone (17:30 BST)
Sunday 26 April
Quarter-final: Donegal v Down (15:00 BST)
Saturday 2 May
Semi-final: Derry/Antrim v Monaghan/Cavan (17:00 BST)
Sunday 3 May
Semi-final: Donegal/Down v Fermanagh/Armagh/Tyrone (16:00 BST) - Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI
Sunday 17 May
Ulster Senior Football Championship final - Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI
Who is part of the BBC pundit team?
Once again there will be some familiar faces in the BBC studio and pitchside for this year's Championship.
Oisin McConville and Conor McManus return to our panel and the will be joined by eight-time All-Ireland winner Philly McMahon.
Conor Meyler, Niall Grimley, Brendan Devenney and Owen Mulligan will be part of the team for the first game between Armagh and Tyrone.
They will be joined by some special guests as the tournament progresses while Sarah Mulkerrins and Mark Sidebottom will present the action, with Thomas Niblock in the commentary box.
What happened in last year's Ulster Championship?
Donegal retained the Ulster Championship in another very close encounter against Armagh.
Twelve months on from their penalty shootout win over Kieran McGeeney's side, Jim McGuinness guided his team to back-to-back titles.
It took extra-time to separate them however as Donegal triumphed 0-28 to 2-23 at Clones.
Derry were the first team to fall as they lost out to the eventual winners in the preliminary round.
There was a dispute at the quarter-final stage as Ulster GAA initially stated Corrigan Park could not host Antrim's meeting with Armagh.
The west Belfast venue was eventually given the go-ahead with the visitors progressing 1-23 to 1-34.
They were joined in the last four by Down and Tyrone, who defeated Fermanagh and Cavan respectively, while Monagahan lost by two points to Donegal.
In the semi-finals the Orchard County beat the Red Hands by a solitary point and Down fell to Donegal.