 | |
| Founded | 1890 (In 2008 as IFA Premiership in current format) |
|---|---|
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | NIFL Championship |
| Domestic cup(s) | Irish Cup |
| League cup(s) | NI Football League Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Larne F.C. (Ultimate Irish League title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Linfield (Ultimate Irish League titles overall) |
| TV partners | BBC NI (12 live games per season and 50 live games plus highlights via BBC iPlayer)[1] Eleven Sports, OneFootball (Outside the UK) Sky Sports (5 Premiership games per season and the League Cup final) |
| Website | nifootballleague |
| Current: 2024–25 NIFL Premiership | |
The NIFL Premiership, known as the Sports Direct Premiership for sponsorship purposes,[2] and Irish Premiership colloquially,[3][4] is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Northern Ireland Football League – the national league in Northern Ireland. The NIFL Premiership was established as the IFA Premiership in 2008 under the auspices of the Irish Football Association as the successor to the Irish Premier League, before the Northern Ireland Football League was created for the start of the 2013–14 season. At the end of the season, the champion club is presented with the Gibson Cup.
Larne are Irish League champions for the first time in their 134 year history, following a 2–0 win over Crusaders in April 2023. In winning the league, Larne became the first team from outside of Belfast to win the league since Portadown in 2002.
- ^ "The Irish League Show now on BBC iPlayer". Northern Ireland Football League. 11 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "NIFL ANNOUNCE SPORTS DIRECT PARTNERSHIP". NI Football League. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Irish Premiership Table - Football". 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Find out your team's grade in Graham Luney's Irish Premiership end of term report card". 9 May 2024.