I bet this is the same kind of debate on soccer forums when sky got rights to the premier league in England, on darts forums when sky got rights to the pdc or on rugby foruns when they got the rights to the Heineken cup. They all worked out brilliant for the organisation involved. I know the argument can be made they are professional games but every sport sky touches just gets bigger and better.

I do understand the argument that some people may lose out on some matches. It will be a minority however and it is only 9 live matches. In all the cases I quoted sky got exclusive rights so it is not like the gaa are leaving people with no football.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the gaa to grow the sport not just to ex pats abroad but to a whole new audience. Sky package their sports to bring in new viewers all times. They are amazing at it. They somehow have even managed to make the cricket world cup on at the minute appealing. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but the gaa could not miss out on this fantastic opportunity just to ensure a small minority get to view 8 extra matches.

I can not wait to see sky's first gaa advert. You know it will be amazing or more people than ever before will be interested in our great game.

Makaay07 (Louth) - Posts: 2 - 02/04/2014 08:16:08    1568980

Shocking stuff from O'Neill & Duffy - so concerned about the diaspora - can we have a vote of confidence in these two? If the deal makes very little difference financially why not publish the figures for all the bids - be transparent so that nobody can say it's down to financials.

I, for one, don't want to see the hype Sky bring to our games - Super Saturdays, Sublime Sundays, Wonderful Wednesdays & Fantastic Fridays - with commentators trying to out shout each other to bring a bit of excitement to a dull game in a wet stadium on a Saturday evening. Mind numbingly boring interviews with players who are getting nothing out of the deal. And then the times of games will change to suit Sky's schedule.

For me it's a slippery slope that the GAA will regret but that's all right for the chosen few who will slip out with pockets full.

opa01 (Cavan) - Posts: 503 - 02/04/2014 08:18:03    1568982

Marlon_JD +1

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 02/04/2014 08:38:50    1568986

Why does the gaa need exposure abroad. These are indigenous sports. I think its up yours to people who dont subscribe to sky sports
My real sympathy is for older people who dont have the money to pay over fifty quid a month to subscribe to sky to watch matches.

atta (Meath) - Posts: 698 - 02/04/2014 08:40:43    1568988

Still, It's great news for Mayo, but not so good for Dublin, It seems Sky have stripped Dublin of last years all-ireland and awarded it to Mayo. So finally for Mayo the wait is over.

Mayo win all ireland 2013

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 02/04/2014 08:59:37    1568994

This is a disgrace. Simple fact the certain people at the top end of the GAA are greedy, money has tainted them. This has nothing to do with the people abroad. Most countries that there is an intreest in seeing the games already does. Liam O'Neill was spluttering in his interview trying to give reasoning to their deal with sky.
Somnething needs to be done. Think of all the lifetime GAA supporters that will miss there core past time. DISGRACE

Tara_Kings (Meath) - Posts: 128 - 02/04/2014 09:19:43    1569002

Everything the GAA take a step forward 50% of the country screams GRAB ALL ASSOCIATION.

The main point for the detractors seems to be money and if you believe them the GAA will be getting millions ...NOT...but if they do get the millions people believe where is the money going?

Lining their pockets???? NO

To the players??? NO

It will go back into the clubs like the money made from renting out Croke Park etc.

As to people claiming the using of the diaspora is a sham excuse I bet you here and now there will be more people watching and paying for matches outside Ireland than those watching for free in Ireland.

Good deal because the people making the deal will not be lining their pockets.

To the ostriches with the head in the sand we will come back in 10 yrs to let you know when you can take your heads out!

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 02/04/2014 09:31:11    1569007

That was one of sky's demands goldrick. They also stated that from now on, you cant handle the ball, points dont count, and we have to implement the offside rule.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 02/04/2014 09:42:36    1569014

There seems to be a lot of people posting with knee jerk reactions and have been poorly informed. I'm not 100% sure on the Sky deal and don't have Sky Sports myself but these are the pro's and con's as I see it:
Con's
- Some people unable to attend their county games, i.e. old and infirmed, may possibly miss some games.
- If you want to watch all games then it will cost you additional money.
Pro's
- The younger audience with access to Sky Sports will see it on the same platform as the soccer and rugby therefore raising its profile.
- The large numbers of Irish abroad will see more games (45 free to air games in Oz this year that they didn't have last year)

There is no point in guessing the other stuff until we see how it pans out, i.e. who will the presenters be and what is their knowledge of GAA, what will the production be like, Is this the first step to losing all games to Sky etc.

I know it won't suit all households but I have a tablet in the house and will be able to download the Sky Sports app for €6 a month if I decide I want to see the games that Sky will be broadcasting. If Donegal are involved in any of them I'll be at the game anyway!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 02/04/2014 09:52:03    1569022

sponger
County: Wicklow
Posts: 2276

1568952 Wicklow on Sky box office ??????????
________________________
Thats got to be worth the subscrition alone!

I see that some on here are saying that this was done with the diaspora in mind, of course it was'nt, I have been banging on about this for ages, as one of the diaspora all I wanted was a decent live streaming service where I can pick and chose my own game, tht is happening and for that I am delighted, I am actually in the process of cancelling my Sky subscription any way, in fact I haven't had Sky sports in over 12 years. There is a lot of passionate debate re this and can see both sides of the coin and thi is where the GAA really need to be up front and transparent about this before it becomes a battle for the very soul of the organisation.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 02/04/2014 09:53:48    1569023

Some of ye lads should ring Joe Duffy, we are such a nation of whingers.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 02/04/2014 09:54:04    1569024

I feel sorry for the aul fella that has been to every game since 1928 and can't get a ticket for the final.... oops sorry wrong subject of outrage :D

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 02/04/2014 09:55:41    1569025

In 2004 there was I think 8 live games shown on tv.

In 1996 widespread tv coverage of provincial matches was introduced. There was considerable opposition at the time, "it's a slippery slope", "this is the beginning of the end for the GAA", etc etc. It proved to be unfounded and the organisation and our games prospered and improved.

It was the same with opening up Croke Park, introducing sponsorship etc etc. each time it was death knell and each time we have grown stronger.

Im a grass roots GAA man, I go to my Club games, my county games, others I watch them on telly, I train the local underage teams and I have no problem with this deal. I do feel for people who were benefitting from the extra games on TV3 and who now wont see these games if they don't have sky. I attended a committee meeting recently where this was debated. A number of people brought up the same arguments. Yet before the meeting I was having a chinwag with the same delegates about the upcoming soccer and rugby games they were going to look at on sky and I know for a fact that these were people who grew up in families where soccer and rugby would not have been even discussed when they were kids. So families that were completely anti any sport apart from the GAA have been won over by what sky done for soccer and rugby.

The promotion of our games is abysmal. For right or wrong Sky are experts at promoting sports. I train kids who turn up for training wearing the kits they see their heroes on sky wearing, discussing what they have seen on sky sports, what Rooney done, what O driscoll done etc etc. you can hear them talking about such and such a fella scoring a wonder goal or try followed by "ye should check it out on sky sports news when ye get home". The fact is there are kids in this country who live their sporting lives through what they see being highlighted in bright lights on SKY, they have never picked up a hurl or kicked an O Neills ball in their lives never mind the kids and adults in other countries around the world where sky operate. Its a no brainer for the GAA to try and tap into that potential when we have a product as good as what we have.

I will be delighted to hear kids telling other kids to go home and check out the goal Nash scored from a free and how sky recorded the ball travelling at 100mph plus. Or check out the highlight of that Canning goal etc etc. Change always breeds suspicion, particularly in Ireland and particularly in the GAA, that doesn't necessarily mean change is bad and in the past change has helped us develop the games we have.

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1339 - 02/04/2014 09:59:24    1569026

I can't understand the outrage about this. Some people are just resistant to change. RTE will be showing the exact same amount of games as they showed last year. It provides an opportunity for the Irish abroad to view the games, particularly in Australia where it will be free to view. This can only be a good thing and maintain strong ties among the Irish Diaspora.

All we need now is for sky to show an interest in the league and provide an alternative the horrible excuse of a show "League Sunday."

As long as RTE retain they rights for their games in the long-term then this can only have a positive outcome in my opinion.

JP91 (Armagh) - Posts: 316 - 02/04/2014 10:00:17    1569027

Everyone is in favour of accomodating the diaspora. But why penalise fans at home? Surely some agreement could have been reached that the 13 games going to Sky could also have been shown on terrestial channels like RTE or TV3. Why the exclusive rights for the games going to Sky? There is more to this than just helping the diaspora.

e.j.healy (Galway) - Posts: 16 - 02/04/2014 10:10:20    1569033

tearintom
County: Wexford
Posts: 43

1569026
In 2004 there was I think 8 live games shown on tv.

In 1996 widespread tv coverage of provincial matches was introduced. There was considerable opposition at the time, "it's a slippery slope", "this is the beginning of the end for the GAA", etc etc. It proved to be unfounded and the organisation and our games prospered and improved.

It was the same with opening up Croke Park, introducing sponsorship etc etc. each time it was death knell and each time we have grown stronger.

Im a grass roots GAA man, I go to my Club games, my county games, others I watch them on telly, I train the local underage teams and I have no problem with this deal. I do feel for people who were benefitting from the extra games on TV3 and who now wont see these games if they don't have sky. I attended a committee meeting recently where this was debated. A number of people brought up the same arguments. Yet before the meeting I was having a chinwag with the same delegates about the upcoming soccer and rugby games they were going to look at on sky and I know for a fact that these were people who grew up in families where soccer and rugby would not have been even discussed when they were kids. So families that were completely anti any sport apart from the GAA have been won over by what sky done for soccer and rugby.

The promotion of our games is abysmal. For right or wrong Sky are experts at promoting sports. I train kids who turn up for training wearing the kits they see their heroes on sky wearing, discussing what they have seen on sky sports, what Rooney done, what O driscoll done etc etc. you can hear them talking about such and such a fella scoring a wonder goal or try followed by "ye should check it out on sky sports news when ye get home". The fact is there are kids in this country who live their sporting lives through what they see being highlighted in bright lights on SKY, they have never picked up a hurl or kicked an O Neills ball in their lives never mind the kids and adults in other countries around the world where sky operate. Its a no brainer for the GAA to try and tap into that potential when we have a product as good as what we have.

I will be delighted to hear kids telling other kids to go home and check out the goal Nash scored from a free and how sky recorded the ball travelling at 100mph plus. Or check out the highlight of that Canning goal etc etc. Change always breeds suspicion, particularly in Ireland and particularly in the GAA, that doesn't necessarily mean change is bad and in the past change has helped us develop the games we have.



I 100 per cent agree with you. There has never been more games live on TV, we have had it too easy with the amount of games on.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 02/04/2014 10:13:00    1569035

Great start by Sky yesterday, proclaiming MAYO had won last years All Ireland...

Hopefully they will get reporters/pundits who know what they are talking about.


Also, with all the added camera's, the players will now get away with Diddly-Squat... everything will be caught by the Sky camera's...
Interesting times ahead.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3733 - 02/04/2014 10:14:19    1569036

Just to clarify on my previous post i obviously mean 1994 rather than 2004!

tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1339 - 02/04/2014 10:17:37    1569039

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 10623

1569014
That was one of sky's demands goldrick. They also stated that from now on, you cant handle the ball, points dont count, and we have to implement the offside rule.

excellent stuff Master, as long as they don't put Trappatoni in charge, I'm all for it. :)

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 02/04/2014 10:22:34    1569045

tearintom
That was the perfect post to sum up exactly why the GAA has agreed a deal with SKY.

The focus here is on 14 games, between TG4, Setanta, TV3 and RTE last year there was over 100 GAA matches televised.
I can guarantee the same people moaning missed quite a few more games than 14.

Sky will do wonders for our game, look at how they have elevated darts to a huge level. 11,000 people in an arena to see a few overweight lads throw arrows at a board.
Imagine the promotional possibilities with 30-40 lads going hell for leather in a fast paced skilful game like hurling?
I am really looking forward to the midweek analysis show, I cant wait to see former intercounty players analyse a game properly, not just have silly debates and slagging like with Brolly and the boys.

I don't see any real negative with this deal, just people moaning for the sake of moaning because of a little change!

People need to realise that sometimes change is for the good!
If it doesn't work its only a 3 year deal at the end of the day.

bobby_shane (Dublin) - Posts: 106 - 02/04/2014 10:26:24    1569049