National Forum

Michael Duignan on Sky coverage and the GAA

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To GreenandRed:  "
Replying To Whammo86:  "[quote=GreenandRed:  "Seriously? <b>The evidence suggests 2 to 3 times more people go to a pub to watch a game when it's not free to air. They are also more likely to bring children to a pub to watch a match.</b> What evidence? You seem to be implying that people are being forced to sign up to Sky or go the pub against their will. I think people have more cop on than that."</div>Look up Paul Rouse he's done the research on this. People don't have to, but people are going to the pub to watch the games who don't when it's available free to air. They don't have to pay for Sky but to not do so means they are unable to watch games that they otherwise would have been able to do so. The price of watching is very expensive and I think it's a shame the GAA are putting there on profit over other people's access to our games. The drop off in number of viewers from TV3 to Sky demonstrates the effect it's having. As for UK residents, they previously were able to watch GAA through premier sports which cost only £10, now they need to pay an extra £30 to get Sky sports. At the time the deal was initially announced 11m had access to GAA through Premier Sports, that number went down to 4m with access to Sky. People are talking about people being entitled for complaining about this deal but whenever something they'd previously had access to and it's now removed from them I can completely understand that they complain about it."
It's unlikely though that TV3 will bid for GAA rights now that they have the 6 Nations.

In my worst-case scenario I'd be more annoyed with the GAA for their Super 8 plan and proposals for a B championship. Worst-case scenario because I think they're condescending to so-called weaker counties. There will be little or no chance that these counties will get national media attention, the GAA milking the Super 8 for the anticipated windfall. Already young players are experiencing burnout on the club, college, underage county, senior county treadmill. The U17 /U20 plan might ease but not fix that problem . If the 2023 World Cup bid is successful I think potential GAA players in B championship counties will see the GAA aren't interested in improving their standards and choose rugby. A bleak prospect I know but I could see that happening."]I am not on principle against the Sky deal.

It's just not as cut and dry as some on here would consider it.

At the end of the day it was debated at Congress after Dublin tabled a motion that all GAA should be on free to air. That motion was overwhelming defeated, you've got to trust that delegates at Central council are better informed than the likes of me on this and I hope this is better for the association.

I take real issue with people describing dissent of the TV deal as being a case of typical Irish entitlement. I hate that phrase in general. In my experience us Irish aren't particularly entitled whatsoever. Country people and GAA folks even less so. We tend to get on with it.

As for the super 8, I share your concerns over it. The gap between the have and the have nots is possibly the biggest issue right now.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4614 - 13/07/2017 11:55:11    2016023

Link

last few sat night sky games have been available on youtube with few seconds delay - no need for pub if you have internet

a saturday night highlights programme on rte is whats needed

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 13/07/2017 12:17:28    2016037

Link

Replying To Whammo86:  "
Replying To GreenandRed:  "Seriously? <b>The evidence suggests 2 to 3 times more people go to a pub to watch a game when it's not free to air. They are also more likely to bring children to a pub to watch a match.</b> What evidence? You seem to be implying that people are being forced to sign up to Sky or go the pub against their will. I think people have more cop on than that."</div>Look up Paul Rouse he's done the research on this. People don't have to, but people are going to the pub to watch the games who don't when it's available free to air. They don't have to pay for Sky but to not do so means they are unable to watch games that they otherwise would have been able to do so. The price of watching is very expensive and I think it's a shame the GAA are putting there on profit over other people's access to our games. The drop off in number of viewers from TV3 to Sky demonstrates the effect it's having. As for UK residents, they previously were able to watch GAA through premier sports which cost only £10, now they need to pay an extra £30 to get Sky sports. At the time the deal was initially announced 11m had access to GAA through Premier Sports, that number went down to 4m with access to Sky. People are talking about people being entitled for complaining about this deal but whenever something they'd previously had access to and it's now removed from them I can completely understand that they complain about it."
I don't know where them figures are from but there is no way Premier Sports has 11 million subscribers. From what I can see there are more youngsters staying involved in Gaelic football over here and having games shown on Sky Sports has definitely helped with that. No longer are they playing an obscure sport, now their mates can see a big game on their tv and it's given the overall profile a bit of a boost. Whether this small benefit outweighs the negatives is debatable though.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 13/07/2017 13:45:52    2016086

Link

In my opinion, the Super 8s is the result of a lack of vision and strategy from the upper echelons of the GAA. Has anyone seen a 5-year or 10-year plan? I also believe the Super 8s are closely tied into the Sky deal - any idea how many of the 12 Super 8 games Sky will have?

The blame game started immediately the Sky deal was announced - the 'poor us being attacked by begrudgers' was rolled out and was aimed directly at RTE. I think this is a very slippery slope. The lack of any sign of a radical overhaul of the Championship structure is the biggest threat to the GAA and particularly in the so-called 'weaker' counties. Until this happens the GAA will always be scrabbling around for small changes to bring in more short-term revenue to compensate for the reduction in crowds year-on-year.

Do the delegates know any more than the rest of us? This is from a Meath delegate about the Super 8s vote:
"A few weeks ago Paraic Duffy came to Dunganny to talk to Meath club delegates about the Super 8 proposals. That night the club delegates voted in favour of backing the proposal. Surely the proper process should have been for delegates to bring what Paraic presented to them back to their clubs and for each club to discuss the proposal and send their delegate back to another meeting mandated as how to vote. Not for club delegates to vote using their personal opinion based on the presentation given by the Director General. If this happened in one county, how many other counties and delegates carried out their business in a similar manner? Also that night Mr. Duffy promised delegates that Croke Park would financially support the redevelopment of Pairc Tailteann. A nice sweetener to throw in…"

Major changes at the helm of the GAA are required very quickly.

opa01 (Cavan) - Posts: 540 - 13/07/2017 13:53:27    2016088

Link

Replying To Soma:  "After this weekend Carlow will have had live games shown on Sky twice this summer. I wonder in total how many times a Carlow game has been shown live on RTE, in either football or hurling?"
It's not because Carlow is playing Monaghan that sky is televising the game, that could have been a London v Monaghan game, neither was it because Carlow played Dublin, that too could have been a Wexford v Dublin game, if sky wasn't here, TG4, TV3, or RTE would beam it out, what surprises me is that the game, by insistence isn't being played in Portlaoise.?

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3269 - 13/07/2017 14:22:51    2016103

Link

Replying To opa01:  "In my opinion, the Super 8s is the result of a lack of vision and strategy from the upper echelons of the GAA. Has anyone seen a 5-year or 10-year plan? I also believe the Super 8s are closely tied into the Sky deal - any idea how many of the 12 Super 8 games Sky will have?

The blame game started immediately the Sky deal was announced - the 'poor us being attacked by begrudgers' was rolled out and was aimed directly at RTE. I think this is a very slippery slope. The lack of any sign of a radical overhaul of the Championship structure is the biggest threat to the GAA and particularly in the so-called 'weaker' counties. Until this happens the GAA will always be scrabbling around for small changes to bring in more short-term revenue to compensate for the reduction in crowds year-on-year.

Do the delegates know any more than the rest of us? This is from a Meath delegate about the Super 8s vote:
"A few weeks ago Paraic Duffy came to Dunganny to talk to Meath club delegates about the Super 8 proposals. That night the club delegates voted in favour of backing the proposal. Surely the proper process should have been for delegates to bring what Paraic presented to them back to their clubs and for each club to discuss the proposal and send their delegate back to another meeting mandated as how to vote. Not for club delegates to vote using their personal opinion based on the presentation given by the Director General. If this happened in one county, how many other counties and delegates carried out their business in a similar manner? Also that night Mr. Duffy promised delegates that Croke Park would financially support the redevelopment of Pairc Tailteann. A nice sweetener to throw in…"

Major changes at the helm of the GAA are required very quickly."
You clearly have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Do your homework. Start with a copy of the GAA Annual Report and rely on such sources of information rather than wherever it is you're getting it.

Sindar (Roscommon) - Posts: 348 - 13/07/2017 15:09:44    2016130

Link

I see both football qualifiers on SKY sat evening..
I hope none of the pundits auld lads will have any trouble watching the games!

Inaroundehouse (Cavan) - Posts: 975 - 13/07/2017 15:58:58    2016153

Link

link

Peter McKenna gives his opinion on Sky and other GAA matters, about 5 minutes in.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8245 - 13/07/2017 19:26:33    2016238

Link