REVENUE IN THE GAA surpassed the €70 million figure last year with a 22% increase in gate receipts a key driver in the rise.
In the annual financial accounts for 2019 released today, the GAA revealed that their total revenue was €73,868,832 with costs split between direct (€12,780,400) and indirect (€48,968,910).
Gate receipts increased by €6.5 million to a figure of over €36 million. A 43% increase from the football championship was central to that with contributory factors including ticket price increases and growth in attendances.
The All-Ireland football final replay between Dublin and Kerry was a major fixture addition, accounting for an increase of €3 million.
Gate Receipts
- Football championship: 2019 – €18.2m, 2018 – €12.7m.
- Hurling championship: 2019 – €10.5m, 2018 – €10.2m.
- Football league: 2019 – €3.5m, 2018 – €3m.
- Hurling league: 2019 – €2m, 2018 – €2m.
- Other competitions: 2019 – €1m, 2018 – €0.8m.
- Team tickets: 2019 – €0.8m, 2018 – €0.8m.
Total attendances across league and championship games were up 5% to 1.48m while the crowds for games in the All-Ireland series were up 12% to 897,000.
The GAA have warned that they do not expect the next couple of years to be as fruitful with ‘significant challenges’ such as the planned development of county ground projects in Navan, Waterford and Newbridge.
The Croke Park stadium distribution was up €2.5m, state funding is up €1m and commercial revenues increased by €0.3m. The direct cost of staging matches, which is predominantly venue rental, increased by €2m while the distributions to counties went up to €9.4m, a €500,000 increase on 2018.
Investment in Games Development grew by €1.4m to €8.7m while €12m was distributed via grant funding.