Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

Darts

After beginning way back in the middle of December, the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship finally comes to a conclusion on Wednesday. The quarter-finals (best of nine sets) are on Monday, the semi-finals (best of 11) on Tuesday, and the final (best of 13) will be on Wednesday. The last man standing will walk away with £500,000 (€575,000), while the runner-up will take home £200,000 (€230,000). – Monday-Wednesday, Sky Sports

FA Cup

The third round proper of the oldest tournament in the world is often the most entertaining. It’s when the Premier League and Championship clubs enter the FA Cup, and it’s often when they are at their most vulnerable. Usually, at least one giant falls each year during this round of matches. For example, Sunderland would love to defeat neighbours Newcastle this weekend, while Sheffield United travel to Gillingham, and Middlesbrough host Aston Villa. – Thursday-Monday, UTV, BBC & Premier Sports

Club football

There is no GAA off-season, with the junior, intermediate and senior club football All-Ireland semi-finals on this weekend. There appears to be little between the four remaining sides in the senior competition – St Brigid’s of Roscommon meet Cork’s Castlehaven in Thurles, while reigning champions, Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin, take on the team they defeated in the 2023 final, Glen of Derry, in Newry. – Sunday, TG4

MONDAY (Jan 1st)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – Midnight Celtics @ Spurs
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 12.30pm-4.30pm, 7pm-11pm World Championship
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Sunderland v Preston North End
• RACING – Virgin Media One, 1pm-3.45pm; UTV, 12.30pm-3.45pm Cheltenham
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports – URC – 3pm Connacht v Munster
• RUGBY – Premier Sports – URC – 3pm Ospreys v Cardiff; 5.15pm Dragons v Scarlets
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League 1 – 3pm Derby Co v Peterborough Utd
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports – URC – 5.15pm Leinster v Ulster
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 5.15pm Sheffield Wednesday v Hull City
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 8pm Liverpool v Newcastle Utd
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 8pm Timberwolves @ Knicks

TUESDAY (Jan 2nd)

• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 7.30pm-11.30pm World Championship
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 4pm Getafe v Rayo Vallecano; 6.15pm Real Sociedad v Alavés; 8.30pm Valencia v Villarreal
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 5pm St Mirren v Celtic
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 7.30pm West Ham Utd v Brighton and Hove Albion
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Coppa Italia – 8pm AC Milan v Cagliari
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 3 from 11.30pm – 3rd Test, D1 Australia v Pakistan

WEDNESDAY (Jan 3rd)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 1am Celtics @ Thunder
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 2nd Test, D1 South Africa v India
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 4pm Granada v Cádiz
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV, ITV4 & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 6.15pm Real Madrid v Mallorca
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 6.15pm Celta Vigo v Real Betis
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Trophée des Champions Final – 7.45pm PSG v Toulouse
• DARTS – Sky Sports Arena, 8pm-11pm World Championship Final
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8.30pm Girona v Atlético Madrid
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 11.30pm – 3rd Test, D2 Australia v Pakistan

THURSDAY (Jan 4th)

• TENNIS – Sky Sports Mix, 1am-6am; Sky Sports Arena, 6am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 2am Clippers @ Suns
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 2nd Test, D2 South Africa v India
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 4pm Osasuna v Almería
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 6.15pm Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao; 8.30pm Las Palmas v Barcelona
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-3am Tournament of Champions
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 & ITV4 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 8pm Crystal Palace v Everton
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 11.30pm – 3rd Test, D3 Australia v Pakistan

FRIDAY (Jan 5th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – 0.30am Bucks @ Spurs; 3am Nuggets @ Warriors
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 1am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-3am Tournament of Champions
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 2nd Test, D3 South Africa v India
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 7.15pm Brentford v Wolverhampton
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 7.45pm Sale v Bristol
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 7.45pm Bologna v Genoa
• SOCCER – UTV & Premier Sports 1 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 8pm Tottenham v Burnley
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 3 from 11.30pm – 3rd Test, D4 Australia v Pakistan

SATURDAY (Jan 6th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 2 – 0.30am Knicks @ 76ers; 3am Grizzlies @ Lakers
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 2nd Test, D4 South Africa v India
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 11.30am Inter Milan v Hellas Verona
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 3am-7am, 8.30am-12.30pm Brisbane International
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – League One – 12.30pm Fleetwood Town v Derby County
• SOCCER – UTV & Premier Sports 1 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 12.45pm Sunderland v Newcastle Utd
• GAA – TG4 YouTube – All-Ireland JFC Semi-finals – 1pm Lahardane v Listowel; 1pm Arva v Milltown
• GAA – TG4 YouTube – All-Ireland IFC Semi-finals – 1pm Allenwood v Cullyhanna; 2.30pm Castlerea v Cill na Martra
• HORSE RACING – Virgin Media One & ITV4, 1.30pm-4pm Sandown Park
• RUGBY – TG4 – URC – 3pm Sharks v Lions
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 3pm Gillingham v Sheffield Utd
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 3pm Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion; 5.30pm Chelsea v Preston North End
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3.05pm Leicester v Saracens
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 5pm Lecce v Cagliari
• SOCCER – BBC 1 & Premier Sports 2 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 5.30pm Middlesbrough v Aston Villa
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-1am Tournament of Champions
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Sassuolo v Fiorentina
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-midnight Match of the Day
• CRICKET – TNT Sports 2 from 11.30pm – 3rd Test, D5 Australia v Pakistan

SUNDAY (Jan 7th)

• NBA – TNT Sports 1 – Midnight Celtics @ Pacers
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
• TENNIS – Sky Sports Arena, 4.30am-10.30am Brisbane International
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am – 2nd Test, D5 South Africa v India
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 11.30am Empoli v AC Milan
• SNOOKER – BBC 2, 1pm-5.15pm; BBC Red Button, 7pm-11pm; Eurosport 1, 12.45pm-4.30pm, 6.45pm-10.30pm The Masters
• GAA – TG4 – All-Ireland SFC Semi-finals – 1.45pm St Brigid’s v Castlehaven; 3.45pm Kilmacud Crokes v Glen
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 2pm Torino v Napoli
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 2pm Manchester City v Huddersfield Town
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 2pm West Ham Utd v Bristol City
• SOCCER – BBC 1 & Premier Sports 1 – FA Cup, 3rd Round – 4.30pm Arsenal v Liverpool
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 5pm Salernitana v Juventus
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans; 9.25pm Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 6pm-1am Tournament of Champions
• NBA – TNT Sports 3 – 6pm Spurs @ Cavaliers
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Roma v Atalanta
• SOCCER – BBC 2, 10.30pm-11.30pm Match of the Day 2
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins