WITH THE GAA in the process of putting together a new TV rights package, the association’s president Aogán Ó Fearghail insists ‘there is no automatic right for everybody to see every game’.
The entry of Sky Sports into the GAA broadcasting arena for the start of the 2014 season prompted huge debate.
The current three-year deal is set to end at the conclusion of this year’s championships. It has seen RTÉ have 25 exclusive games, Sky Sports have 14 exclusive games and both stations show six games (the All-Ireland semi-finals and finals) simultaneously.
Much of the focus surrounding the current package is on the Sky involvement with the issue cropping up again this summer as four of Mayo’s six senior football championship games have been shown on the station rather than a free-to-air serivce.
“I have said this before, I’ll say it again, there is no such thing as a Sky deal, there’s a media deal, and the big winners in the last deal certainly were RTE,” insists Ó Fearghail, speaking in Thurles at yesterday’s Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling final launch.
“There is no automatic right for everybody to see every game. That’s the other thing.
“Our biggest thing is always to make sure that people are at a match. Without the attendances we have difficulty, so there is no automatic right for anyone to see every single game.
“We used to have many more live games. Originally, as you know, better than I do, nothing was on live television except an All-Ireland semi-final and a final. That’s not that many years ago.”
We have to always make sure that we can have as many games as possible where people can see them, but that’s the environment that we work within. So, there is no conclusion, no finality yet to the next deal.”
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‘That’s not that many years ago.’… Well it’s at least 25/30 years ago and at that stage the Cold war was still going on. Everything he says here is symptomatic of what’s wrong with the admin of the GAA, (a mostly well run organisation) where the opinions of those in charge are archaic. Restricting the audiences for games won’t drive back up attendances for games, improving the standard of games and the formats of the competitions will. And the GAA should be available freely to everyone, it’s an organisation built on an entire nation of volunteers working together, being able to watch our native games for free is the bare minimum reward they deserve. As a kid who grew up without Sky etc. would I have been quiet so GAA mad if I couldn’t have watch my heroes on TV every week, I went to Tipp games but what about Seanie McMahan, DJ Carey, Johnny Dooley etc. The organisation needs to ask itself what it is trying to achieve here.
There ticket prices need sorting out too. Ulster this year was 15 quid with children free which was fantastic. Two Ulster Semi Finals VS Tyrone for 30 quid was unbelivable value but then we play Carlow in the Qualifers 20 quid plus a 5er for the kids was disgraceful. Yes I am a Cavan man but that is still a rip off. 60 quid for 2 adults and 2 kids to a qualifier.
Up mullahoran Phil
Jaysuse we gave your boys a right kicking a few weeks ago. Kingscourt are due one on Sunday too
We will see what he thinks when people believe that there is no automatic need to support your local club, no automatic need for our children to learn the game or take an interest in it
I mean surely croke park suits are actually breaking some kind of law here, selling pay per view tv using unpaid amateur as the content. Surely this has to be a first? Could a player possibly sue croke park?
Ticket prices for families aren’t too bad until final day. Then it’s prohibitive. Also, I just don’t like sky coverage of our games. RTE may be more old school but it’s also more fun.
As far as I know, that is what I’ve heard from others ‘cough’, there’s plenty of amateur content available on pay per view sites. So I’ve heard anyway.
We’re talking about television Aidan, keep up. And I’m pretty sure everyone is getting paid in the entertainment industry you seem to be hinting at
If not its called exploitation
It looks like the gaa came up qith a jobsbridge type scam long before the last government
It is an amateur sport, run by people giving up free time all over the country. Now if the game is not shown on any TV station there might be some argument. However if SKY a pay per view have exclusive rights which they pay for this totally changes the narrative, then players should paid if we work of this logic.
The main problem with pay for play is that you’d have to introduce a transfer system. That would, in my opinion, kill stone dead what makes Gaelic Games special in the first place.
But what about the “community” or the little club down the road
Cian the prob is the Croke park suits have no problem selling pay per view but have a big problem with pay per play!, they want it every way, I don’t want professionalism either, but the suits selling exclusive rights of amateur players causes problems for themselves
Absolutely, the GAA can’t have it both ways – Amateur game, amateur players but with highly lucrative exclusive media deals with International media outlets!!
Showing more League games live should be a compulsory accompaniment to winning the contract to show the majority of Championships games
Why? TG4 do a fine job, if it weren’t for them, there would be far fewer games televised, especially as RTE don’t have much interest in screening fixtures apart from senior inter-county championship games.
Talk about a ridiculous straw man’s argument, nobody ever said everyone has a right to see every game. That’s either stupid or purposely misleading. If a game is shown on TV, and TG4 can show games with relatively little viewership at low cost, then there should not be a pay wall stopping Irish people from viewing it. The GAA is owned by the people not Croke Park, it’s the volunteers who keep it alive and how dare they sell exclusive rights to games involving complete amateurs.. I mean it beggars belief and is way worse than anything Apple and Revenue could dream of.
Brian, in response to your question TG4 is owned by a corporation called Teilifis na Gaeilge which was created in 2007 to separate it from RTE. It is a statutory body under the ownership of the state.
There prob is a degree of connection, but tg4 have their own separate board of management as far as I’m aware
Its not just the prices of tickets. Depending where you come in the country its the money needed to travel. Petrol,hotel and food. Time off work etc. If theGaa are not bothered about making sure Irish people have the chance to watch a sport which is solely supported by people going to matchs and Jersey sales etc. Why should we boher going. Take your sky deal and then we should boycot the gates and see how much money they make them. Just selfish
Precisely the Gaa survived fine without pay per view television for decades, they can *eck off
The mission statement of the GAA is to promote Gaelic Culture and Games to the people of Ireland.
How feckin bad is it that an organisation now thinks itself a company to the point where it’s sells itself to the detriment of its own statement.
For those who consider the sky deal good for the diaspora, Padraig Duffy is also trying to scrap the Connacht trip to New York, which brings a championship game directly to the Irish abroad, due to costs.
The hypocrisy and greed from the top is beyond disgusting.
It brings a Connacht Game to New York and New York only. That’s a pretty narrow definition of the Irish diaspora and even at that the game is generally a formality without intending any disrespect to New York GAA.
So what’s the reason for scrapping it so exactly Aidan?
Well Jack says it’s due to costs. I’d imagine the attendance probably isn’t enormous so gate receipts probably don’t cover it. By contrast London are in the championship but the costs of travelling there are a lot less.
Ah yes money again, the Gaa told us the media deal wasn’t money driven but for the good of the diaspora instead, and yet they’ve no qualms about cutting this important game for the American based diaspora
Important game for the American based diaspora? I wonder what percentage of the Membership of the American GAA clubs have actually attended? Would that not be like asking how many members of Anytime GAA clubs have been to a Munster football quarter final?
No it wouldn’t
Apologies. That was supposed to say Antrim. My point being the distance is prohibitive.
Given that the GAA are allowing GAAGO to charge €25 ($30 in the USA) to stream the All-Ireland football finals next week, I would suggest that the diaspora are fairly low down on their list of priorities (except to be milked, that is).
Exactly my point Darren, they marketed this PR disaster as “showing the game to the Irish abroad” while taking games from them.
Aidan, I’m not even going to bother arguing with you as you haven’t a bulls notion.
While I find GAAGO to be an excellent service, it has always been about money first and foremost. Which is fine, the GAA like any organisation has overheads, but be up front about your motivations.
Both the subscription fee for GAAGO and the once-off fee for streaming the All-Ireland finals increased this year, which doesn’t seem logical to me if this streaming service was all about altruism towards Irish emigrant communities. It’s not like costs would have gone up that much in the meantime, anyway.
The GAA President will fly out to the Middle East, Pan-Asian Games or whatever and make a lovely speech about what GAA people are doing out there, but meanwhile, the Ard-Chomhairle are allowing these price hikes to happen to GAA fans abroad. Such things don’t do much for the morale of those trying to promote gaelic games outside of Ireland.
I believe 110 million Euro of taxpayers money went into the redevelopment of Croke Park. In my opinion that should entitle me as a taxpayer to see our national games for free.
The tax money would of went somewhere else if it didn’t go there. It’s not like they took extra money from you. So if you have the right to watch games for free does that mean you don’t have to pay for a ticket? Sky’s coverage is far better than RTE
It’s in the news this week how €60 million goes to Dublin Bus. So should you also be allowed to use the buses for free?
Dublin bus drivers get paid the last time I checked
No I never wanted a free ticket I have no problem paying when I can afford to go.
My argument was that we should be allowed to see our national game on our national stations.
There are thousands of elderly people who can’t travel to matches that are being ignored for bskyb money but who gave years and years going to matches.
Dublin bus, what a stupid argument.
Theres no automatic right for your organisation to continue to benefit from thousands of non paid volunteers every day, to continue to get players to train like olympians for a pat on the back along with the you pocketing a nice chunk of taxpayer cash.
It should be opened up more. Rte did not show either of the replayed Ulster Semi Finals this year. BBC where not allowed to show them because RTE didn’t. The Connaught final was the same. Thats a joke. The Sky coverage is fantastic and the money will be pumped back into the clubs.
RTE, BBC, UTV Ireland and TV3 should all have to option to show games on a Sunday. With RTE and SKY for Saturday games.
Yes I agree about the opening up to terrestrial channels such as UTV Ireland and TV3 to add much needed plurality. However I completely disagree with Sky. For a start it’s a poor man’s TV3 package with pretty much the same commentators and analysts, however now you have to pay nearly a thousand euros a year for the privilege to watch entirely amateur sports people!
That famous amateur ethos. They’re not known as the grab all association for nothing.
Johnny overall it is without doubt one of the best run organisations in the country, compare it to that Muppet Delaney and the way the FAI is run and you have 2 stark contrasts. However with the sky deal they got caught between 2 stools, trying to grow the games and give Irish people abroad more access, they must also have been the question of money, However not showing the Saturday evening matches on terrestrial TV has been very short sighted, I wonder how many saw Donegal v Dublin and Mayo v Tyrone. Money must also be a big issue here, I have no problem with SKY showing matches I welcome it, however they should not have access to exclusive rights.
I have to say this one annoys me. Try to bring the GAA into the modern age by bringing in a bit of competition in the media sector and the GAA are accused of excluding members. Don’t do it at all and leave it with RTE as had been the status quo for donkeys years and they are accused of living in the past. I didn’t see too many people complaining like this when the European Cup in Rugby and Irish international games in soccer are shown exclusively on Sky etc.
As far as I can remember those soccer and rugby players got paid
Aidan
Rugby and soccer are huge professional and financially driven global sports with worldwide markets, it is a terrible comparison, Pobga’s signing alone is above all GAA revenue combined for one year.
Again, not the issue at hand. The issue is whether or not you feel the GAA should sell the rights to games to Sky, not whether players should be paid. The GAA sold it’s games to RTE, TV3, Radio stations etc long before Sky arrived on the scene.
One begets the other. If you want to keep an organisation amateur then you don’t go selling exclusive rights to a pay for view private company.
they can sell the rights to games whoever they want. It’s perfect legal nothing wrong with it what so ever. If you are that concerned why don’t you go down and actually watch a game. Also you said charging money is exploiting amateur players , so does that same principle apply to when you go to a stadium and pay your ticket for the game?
It does actually, but it becomes more egregious when you put up a tv pay wall to big inter-county matches that attracts interest. At least when you go to a match you see it live and soak up the atmosphere and the occasion and the gate receipt might cover the costs of security and maintenance. Who says they can sell the tv rights to games to whoever they want? Where did that right come from exactly? Did the players themselves give the right?
I wonder for instance could Richie Power, who has no cartilage left in his knee and can’t walk without pain, could he sue Sky or Croke park for some of the advertising revenue from the games shown exclusively by them to cover his medical costs? Would be interesting
It isn’t sky or croke parks fault he has not cartilage left? Rte buy exclusive games to should they be sued along with sky and croke park?
The gaa can sell the rights to games to whoever they want. The players don’t have a say in this. If they are so outraged by this then they don’t have to play no one is making them play
Aidan, the soccer and rugby players are professional well paid players. Do not compare an Amateur sport to those sports when it comes to revenue.
Is that not a separate issue Terry? Whether you watch the game on Sky or on RTE, the players are still amateur. The organisation is amateur with the exception of a few in admin. The sky money isn’t lining anyone’s pocket – it’s funnelled down to the grassroots as it rightly should be.
It’s still not moral or equitable. The grassroots survived fine without pay for view television. Croke park are exploiting amateur players basically, it’s like the mafia or something
Beal_Bocht – surely the issue is whether you or I want to pay to watch games. Yes RTE are free to air but RTE also pays for the right to cover games. The money from that is used in exactly the same way as Sky money but nobody is up in arms over that.
No, the issue is EXCLUSIVE rights are sold to games involving entirely amateur players, what if for instance the mayo team refused to play one of those many matches that Sky were showing exclusively this year. What could they do the players, they’re not getting paid so they couldn’t exactly fine them for breach of contract
You’re dead right. They couldn’t do a thing but thankfully players aren’t motivated by greed (they’d be in the wrong sport if they were). They do it for something deeper. For the love of place. Robert Putnam wrote about it at length. The GAA creates social capital and community involvement. Those players know that what they do helps to keep that system going.
How does selling to sky encourage love of the place, create social capital or improve community involvement!?? And why did the likes of Tony Kelly do an advert for Sky that was personally worth over €10,000 if he was only motivated by the above things, you’re talking through your hat
Sure and Eddie Brennan and Henry Sheflin turn up on the Sunday Game for free too. What’s good for the goose…
Ah yes, have a look at the names there, Tony Kelly, Eddie Brennan, Henry Shefflin, so the elite can use their profile to monetize it to some degree, but the guy on the panel who trained and played as much as them and put his body on the line just as much get’s exploited by Croke Park and Sky and sees nothing in return. That’s your social capital right there. Ritchie Power has no cartilage left in his knee, can’t walk without pain and may never play sport again but sure he improved community involvement didn’t he!?
The more the greed here , the more damage is done to its future. The GAA will not be seen by an awful lot of younger people whom will not give to the future of a sport depriving them seeing it played.
What is happening to the ideals of the GAA?
Was it not built by volunteers for the benefit of the people. Deprivation will eventually lead to fewer players and even Volunteers … Be careful and don’t let greed destroy what is truly belonging to the Irish people..
Public money goes into the GAA. Everyone should have a right to see the matches otherwise pull the public money.
Croke Park redeveloped to the fabulous stadium it is with taxpayers and lotto money a significant element of funding. Having paid our TV licence it rankles that games are then put out on privately owned pay TV
Haven’t set foot in a GAA ground since their deal with SKY and won’t be be doing so either.
When was the last time you set foot in a GAA ground? Chances are you are not even a fan anyway.
The whole new formats announced for next season all part and parcel of the sell out to Sky for more money instead of player welfare and standard of teams
What a pair of Clowns, Farrell and Duffy at the top in GAA. Dumb and Dumber.
My children play both GAA and soccer at underage level. It has to be said the facilities at virtually all the GAA grounds I travel to are superior to the soccer grounds. Both the FAI and GAA have deals with sky. It obvious the GAA invest much more of the funds into the grassroots of the game.
Sure of course they do, they don’t have to pay any of the players
I think you’ll find the inter county players get expenses. Which probably equates to the pittance the league of Ireland player receive. The real money grabbers in the FAI would be mister Delaney and his board of fat cats who couldn’t kick a football to save their lives.
I think the main issue with this is sky’s exclusivity for matches in ROI. Why not let sky show all matches for diaspora and overseas audiences but at the same time keep all matches in Ireland on free to air, let rte and tv3 fight for exclusivity on free to air. That way the diaspora can see matches like provincial finals on sky, people in Ireland have access to all matches on free to air and can opt to pay for sky sports coverage if they so wish if they are not happy watching on tv3 or RTE, Sky are happy to share all Ireland semi finals and finals with rte, would they not like to share all other matches with rte in exchange for higher profile matches such as provincial finals? It should not be the case where GAA matches are on exclusively subscription channels. Wh can’t they be on both and everyone can win?
Always been a tricky subject. It’s perfectly understandable that the GAA would want to promote the game overseas & the obvious way to do that is to sell TV rights to broadcasters like Sky & generate revenue, that’s good business & every business needs revenue. But to sell EXCLUSIVE rights to Sky & force Irish people (who pay their taxes & TV licences fair & square) to subscribe to a non-national broadcaster to watch our own sports is a real betrayal to GAA fans here in Ireland. You could argue that UK citizens are in the same position having to subscribe to Sky to watch their own Premier league but that’s a professional sport that depends on revenue & sponsorship to exist, not to mention its competitions are largely based on financial reward and the same cannot be said for an amateur sport like GAA whose existence depends on volunteerism by its players who play for pride & its supporters who support their local parishes & counties & not TV & sponsorship revenue. I feel the sale of GAA games to Sky has always been a slap in the face to GAA fans & the statement noted in this article only makes it sting even more.
And by the way, I say all that as a willingingly paying Sky Sports subscriber so I can watch the rugby, especially Heineken cup and as an Everton fan, premiership games and the missus being a Formula 1 fan, yet we still feel depending on it for GAA is inherently wrong.
That’s fine, can we have all our grants back now, please?.
You had no automatic right to that.
Television deals are certainly about money. It is good for the GAA to have more money to hand out in grants to clubs for to improve their facilities, but I do believe that every penny of it should go back to clubs. Farrell is really trying to impress by licking up to GPA and talking a lot of shi.e. What about all the retired County and Club players with limps, bad knees, bad hips etc as a result of playing who now cannot afford to get operations , will Farrell help them?, no, I don’t think so. Injured club players need better assistance as well. Also, many people cannot afford to have sky tv , there are lots of families on low wages who have budding footballers and it will be a sorry thing if they cannot see our National games. Also, many rural pubs now cannot afford to pay for Sky, many would have gathered in them before to watch sport, but now alas, that is gone too. We need to keep the pressure on County Boards all over the country to pressurise Croke Park on this matter.
They should be free to air. Simple. Making money off the player’s backs. And please don’t give me this shite that it’s about growing the games. Joe Brolly speaks brilliantly on this issue.
I genuinely do not know but.. Does the government give partial funding to the GAA?
If so it is every single tax payer’s right to view every game.
I think the nub of the problem is professional management running an amateur / volunteer organisation. There is a fundamental clash of culture or outlook. It is the nature of management to focus on the commercial growth of an organisation, whereas members are in it for its own sake. I have seen this myself working in salaried roles in voluntary organisations.
Charge enough to Rte and Sky and distribute extra grants to the County boards and clubs.
like everything else that was once important to this country our national game has been sold to the highest bidder, majority of people probably support it sadly
What about us oldies still out in the byways? long before there were highways, we started clubs, fetched and carried in our old bangers, begged and cajoled for hurleys and gear and fields to train and play on, togged out behind fences, played our games, licked our wounds and never asked for a bob but it cost us many a shilling.
Now we have to pay for Sky Sports or get to the pub and that’s not easy out in the byways, lives or licenses can be lost so money must be spent to travel safely.
The GAA claim to be concerned about people who live in isolation and loneliness and these are the very people who are most affected by the organizations lust for more money. I fear that the roots we nurtured so unselfishly then, don’t need us to burden them now as we might spill their gravey.
However! we could all still have our say if we get our local club to discuss the matter at our AGM and see what the general consensus is and maybe remind O Fearghail that we are a member driven association not dictator driven.
The final irony was when the GAA advertised that those with Sky television channels could avail of sky sports for E20.00 a month. If I had a pint of harp- huh
The players do not get paid so all games should be free
O Fearghail you are a clown.