Your right royaldunne, you used to have to listen on the radio. I remember they showed the Munster final in 89 as a once-off, for some reason. One of the dirtiest matches I ever saw, a bloodbath between Waterford and tip

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 19/11/2013 11:27:07    1515151

I suppose the original post has lead naturally to an open question and debate , from an international point of view is increased exposure a good or a bad thing ? Would feel most would be keen on more exposure for expats living abroad etc with mindful concerns as to where it might lead .
Increased exposure to national game is the more tricky one of the two , on one hand those who predate the game 1990 as mentioned were given all ireland semis and that was your lot , so RTE has over two decades brought the game some distance in comparison , but the question I pose would further exposure lead to even smaller gates and is that what we want ?
Again all of above is hypothetical as is most of the posts .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 19/11/2013 11:38:32    1515163

Royaldunne your right. They showed the last Dubs and Meath match live on RTE. It was on a Sat. I think the first Sunday game that they brodcasted live was the Kildare and Louth match in 1995.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 19/11/2013 11:57:35    1515173

I really don't get it, why would people in Ireland have a problem with me watching Gaelic and Hurling in England? The sport is as much mine as it is theirs, I have played football, I have trained kids and ran teams here in England, I have a club here, and I have travelled to follow club and County football, why shouldn't I get to see our national sport played at the top level on TV?

In the last thread similar to this the people who were negative to the games being promoted in England came across as very insular and almost selfish…. Both sports are a credit to Ireland and should be celebrated and promoted at every opportunity. This no one can have our sport thing is crazy, can anyone here not tell me they would not love to see a proper national team created and a World Cup etc for Ireland to perform in, it would be great. Never mind this rubbish crossbreed game with the Aussies, let's get Gaelic out there and let it grow, support the expansion rather than suffocate it. I get the feeling some people struggle to look further than there own County boarders never mind other Countries….

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 19/11/2013 13:22:30    1515220

Hill do you actually think that the gaa are going to sell the entire rights to watching the games to a company who's viewership is largely based in england, along being based there themselves? They wouldnt want exclusive rights for a start as it would probably cost more than it was worth to them. You have no idea how this works. Please stop scaremongering on a subject you have no knowledge of. The big baddies at sky arent hiding under your bed, waiting to take over the gaa.

Manc, you are spot on. This insular and very small-minded attitude is actually holding back the development of our game. I mean we actually think that the english are going to take it from us, that is what is going on on this thread. What would we say if an english man said that about our coverage of the epl (or former coverage as it is now)? We would laugh them out of the place.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 19/11/2013 15:12:46    1515293

I'm with you on this Mancirish, an exile like yourself I would love the opportunity to watch the games from the comfort of my own home, I resent having to go to a plastic Irish pub for the privelege, I seldom drink alcohol for starters. I'd be more interested in a PPV option, I'd be happy enough to pay £2/3 per game, that way I can pick and chose the games I want rather than a whole package.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 19/11/2013 15:26:22    1515300

Mancirish
County: UK
I really don't get it, why would people in Ireland have a problem with me watching Gaelic and Hurling in England? The sport is as much mine as it is theirs, I have played football, I have trained kids and ran teams here in England, I have a club here, and I have travelled to follow club and County football, why shouldn't I get to see our national sport played at the top level on TV?

I don't believe many people have a problem with GAA being shown on any channel in Britain, I'd imagine most people would be happy to have it shown on any channel over there. What people are expressing worry about is the Irish tv rights to show GAA being old to Sky. I would have thought that very unlikely myself, but the article in which was reported, and the quote from the gentleman in question, was a bit ambiguous on that, it didn't mention UK rights specifically.

But yeah, its about time GAA got better TV coverage abroad. I myself would love to see the GAA continue to try and get the games on some TV network affiliate in the USA. The fact that the games take place in the morning over here, when there's little on TV in the way of competition (apart from kids TV) might be a factor in getting some regional affiliate to take a chance on the games. I was turned away from pubs this September for the AI hurling final because they were packed to capacity to watch the games on TV. I think there's a huge potential audience for hurling over here beyond the Irish diaspora, the game just needs some exposure.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 19/11/2013 15:48:21    1515324

What is the problem here. It would be great if SKy showed the GAA matches in England or ESPN in the states. Would massively boost the profile of the games overseas. Hopefully would prevent the need for expats to find a pub to watch a match. Personally I cant think of a worse place to watch a GAA match than in a Fake Irish pub overseas. Not every irish person wants to spend their free time in a pub despite the stereotype. I watch the American Football every week on Sky and thank god I dont have to go to a pub for the privilege. People in Britain, America and all over the world, whether Irish or not, have the right to be able to experience the best field sports in the world at home on their own TV screens. It would only be a good thing for the GAA longterm. The idea of forcing people into pubs if they want to watch a game is disgraceful pandering to the drinks industry(something the GAA has specialised in for decades).

jpcampion (Laois) - Posts: 194 - 19/11/2013 17:30:16    1515399

Firstly I think McKenna needs to come out and say what exactly they are looking into, he has not actually given any information as to what they are looking at, if its the domestic rights or the international rights. They have stated that they are looking at a large broadcaster in the states so I am guessing they would be looking into something similar for the UK. Everyone is talking as if its just Sky but I am sure BT will be looking to expand the sports they show also. As with the majority of people I think the service provided by Premier Sports is very poor, it was set up by the old Setanta crew. The only good think I have seen Premier do is show a few of the London games this year, otherwise they don't seem too concerned with GAA.
A few of the posters on this subject have been rather disrecpectful to expats saying why would Sky etc want to show the games etc, their is a large Irish community in the UK and they are every bit as passionate about the game as people back home and its about time the GAA tried to do something so that more people can watch the games in the comfort of their own homes, I have a number of Aussie pals who pay about 20 dollars a month and get to watch all the AFL games online, I am sure this is a service the GAA could easily provide. Could someone advise how much Premier Sports, Setanta etc pay for the rights to show the games in UK, Europe and the US.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 19/11/2013 18:11:49    1515429

Some excellent points been made here about how effectively this is a no brainer. Rather than lambasting sky we should be encouraging them.
Look leave rte to have the matches , but for two years running I have had to come home after loosing a Leinster final to watch a recording of the worst analysis and commentary of football that one could imagine.
Horendous stuff.
Give me sky any day over a one sided salvation of a particular team.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 19/11/2013 18:33:22    1515438

Has anyone ever gotten/used the GAA Championship season pass on Ustream? Is it expensive? I haven't, but I might look into it for 2014

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 19/11/2013 19:06:17    1515457

This thread started off as a typical anti brit thing from hill. And rather than it turning into a brit bashing tirade it has been hugely positive towards skys involvement in promoting our games. Now that its finally sunk into hill that actually sky is not british his feeble attemts to try to disguise anti british agenda as concern for the games is laughable. The huge support from even those living in the north towards this move proves that politics has nothing to do with the modern day gaa is a very positive move.
There are those like hill who only involve themselves in the gaa cause they see it as a anti brit thing and little or no interest in the games or organisation. They should realise that the modern gaa is inclusive, the psni have their own team,of course we will always have idiots but these type of individuals need to be marginalised and shown for what they are, not very smart as they didn't even know sky was a aussie company.

foreverroyal (Meath) - Posts: 349 - 19/11/2013 21:56:31    1515537

What's your problem with hill, foreverroyal? Is no-one allowed have a different opinion than you? And you want to 'marginalise' people who don't think like you? Your a great lad. Heil der foreverroyal furher!

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 20/11/2013 09:08:10    1515554

flack
County: Dublin
Posts: 109

1515554
What's your problem with hill, foreverroyal? Is no-one allowed have a different opinion than you? And you want to 'marginalise' people who don't think like you? Your a great lad. Heil der foreverroyal furher!
______________________
You beat me to it flack, hill has genuine concerns about this, he voiced them and rightly so and I can see where he is coming from, however I'm looking at this from the point of view of an exile, and lets face it there are quite a lot of us, and my motives are purely selfish. The real problem here is that there are elements that are happy and only too willing to attack, and lets face it, label posters like hill as 'anti-British', a 'dinosaaur', 'not moving with the times', all of which is complete bollix of course. Perhaps they need to move with the times and remember that in spite of everything that has happened to the country in the past 10 years, you do still live in a democarcy where everyone is still allowed a voice and an opinion.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 20/11/2013 09:34:54    1515561

That is correct brend, but then in the same fashion, there are people who dont want this to occur largely because they are pre-disposed to dislike britian, and that should be pointed out also. Personally I havent labelled hill anything without listening to his point first, and for me, when reasonable logic was put to it, he just went on with this scare-mongering about them 'getting their foot in the door and then taking over'. Really? They are going to take over the gaa? How exactly? That just raises questions about his motives for me. Even if they did invest so heavily that they gained sole rights and wished to adjust the times of games - which is never going to occur btw - so what? What is so bad about moving a game half an hour? Has it not occured to you that it might actually suit you also? You could watch the soccer/rugby and the gaa match. How is that taking over? It is a television company ffs.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 20/11/2013 10:25:09    1515601

good article in the times, on this discussion

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/sky-can-be-the-limit-to-latest-gaa-broadcast-negotiations-1.1600155?page=2

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 20/11/2013 11:05:15    1515626

ok found out how much the international rights are, according to the article 1.5m Euro not sure how many years that was for but the deal ends after the 2014 National League

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/gaa-cant-afford-to-neglect-its-swelling-diaspora-215454.html

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 20/11/2013 11:12:50    1515627

To all who claim knowledge of the origin and nationality of Sky:

BSkyB was a British company, founded in November 1989 by Rupert Murdoch. At this stage of his life Murdoch had rejected his native Australian citizenship in order to obtain a U.S. passport, so that he would be eligible to acquire the then 20th Century Fox. He acquired it for his News International group, whose trading name is News UK and whose HQ is in London. News UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of NewsCorp whose HQ is in New York. What is now 21st Century Fox owns a 39.14 per cent controlling stake in the BSkyB company.

So hill, you are wrong, but once upon a time you were right. However Sky is really centred in the U.S.A. now.

And however wrong you are, you are not as widely off the mark as those who insisted it is an Australian company. It has never been. The original NewsCorp, founded in Adelaide in 1979, obviously was, but as of June 28th 2013 this is fully defunct. I imagine a lot of Australians would rather not be tarred with the same brush as a man who relinquished his nationality for profit.

And at least hill you didn't accuse the others, in hilarious i-can-do-modern-jokes fashion, as being guilty of "#unrealignorance". Maybe "#unrealhypocrisy" would have been more appropriate.

There's been 7 pages of debate, and a lot has been focussed on a 'factoid' (ownership of Sky) which it would have taken 2 minutes to factcheck. Why bother, when you can just insult the other side?

This is not a high water mark for debating standards on HoganStand.

PS: I don't give a damn re the British thing either. What I do have reservations about, and it is depressing that nobody else has noticed this, is that CLG would be in thrall to the power behind the British phone hacking scandal, and the daily diet of Tea Party-lite propaganda and misinformation that is Fox News.

PPS: I don't agree with hill's misogyny on the erroneous basis of it being a British company, but when royaldunne claims he would rather have football and hurling on Sky than on "TnaG" (sic)- well, now I know what the 'royal' is for...

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 20/11/2013 14:27:53    1515728

Seabhac, all the networks peddle misinformation, including rte. The only difference with Fox is they have a slightly different view than the rest, who are all the same pinkos, if you think people should be up in arms about that, that's very sad.

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 20/11/2013 15:57:03    1515772

an tseabhac

PPS: I don't agree with hill's misogyny on the erroneous basis of it being a British company, but when royaldunne claims he would rather have football and hurling on Sky than on "TnaG" (sic)- well, now I know what the 'royal' is for...


In fairness I'd far rather watch games on Sky than on TG4 aswell, simply because I speak English, haven't a word of Irish.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 20/11/2013 15:57:54    1515773