As with the local variants of BBC Choice in Scotland and Wales, BBC Choice Northern Ireland carried much of its content from the network BBC Choice service originating in London, but split off most evenings for around two hours a night (generally around 10pm to midnight) of local programming to Northern Ireland.

After around midnight, programming would revert to the network service until closedown.

The service was available on the ONdigital/ITV Digital terrestrial service and cable in Northern Ireland only, and on the Sky Digital satellite service across the UK – listed as channel 160 on Sky in Northern Ireland and at the rear of the programme guide elsewhere in the UK; this was as part of a system to allow the correct regional variant for the viewer's area to be accessed from the primary channel number.

None of the BBC's other digital services offer variants (whilst BBC One HD currently offers a single UK-wide service based on the Network schedule, with local programme out-outs in Scotland, Wales, NI and the English regions currently available in SD only.)

Following the closure of BBC Choice Northern Ireland in 2001, a 'digital version' of BBC Two Northern Ireland launched which was separate to that available on analogue; it carried many of the NI-specific programme opt-outs as on the analogue service, but also carried some additional digital-only programmes, in the main carried over from BBC Choice NI.