A sky deal would really help boost the profile of GAA outside Ireland. I wonder how likely it is though? Are they just using them to push up the price with the local tv players?

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 13/03/2014 18:15:49    1559353

Htaem
County: Meath
Posts: 4926

1559205
If TG4 would only swallow their pride and broadcast in a language that the vast majority of people on this Island understand (English, they should try English) then I'd be fine with them but continuously broadcasting in Irish is a bit of a hindrance.

---

Lean an liathróid preabadh. - Just follow the bouncing ball. ;-)

mikeyjoe (USA) - Posts: 415 - 15/03/2014 15:17:10    1559982

I think the reason tg4 only broadcast in irish is because people would realise how terrible they are.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 16/03/2014 16:00:29    1560246

This was posted as a new thread but as the subject matter is the same it has been incorporated here.

roundball
Posts: 2008
Tipperary
27/03/2014
12:03

GAA to sell out to Murdoch Empire?

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=212786

So it would seem the GAA are in negotiations with BSkyB. Very disappointed to here this. Our games should be free to air. In an increasingly sedentary society we continue to put up barriers to accessing sports. Don't tell me that the money will be used to invest in facilities, yada, yada. How much more do you think Sky are willing to pay for such a niche market anyway? And any association that can afford to build a stadium in London and a white elephant of a facility in west Dublin isn't exactly cash strapped in the first place. The inter-county championships are the best promotional string to our bow. Please don't sell it to Sky.

Administrator (None) - Posts: 2275 - 27/03/2014 12:35:56    1565693

But they already sell to other pay-for-view broadcasters... What is so different about sky?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/03/2014 12:43:26    1565697

I would have no problem of SKY showing a League game as long as TG4 had first pick on the day,Same with championship,Let the terrestrials have first pick

shea (Kerry) - Posts: 409 - 27/03/2014 12:55:58    1565705

Round ball I agree with you 100 % and when I said this would happen a lot of people on here said it would only be for England and America , it's disgusting what Liam o'neill is doing to the poor people In rural Ireland who are already cut off from most things, shame on you Liam o'neill.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 27/03/2014 12:59:06    1565709

GAA rights to Sky are not a huge step into unknown. We already sold rights to Setanta and they are pay per view. I'd be happy to see what Sky do with the rights and the package and sure if it dosn't work then can always take them back next time round. Its only afew games so no harm in seeing how it works. Bring it on.

jpcampion (Laois) - Posts: 194 - 27/03/2014 13:00:14    1565712

Yet another example of how out of touch current President Liam O'Neill is with the average man of the street, with times tougher than ever for the seasoned fan he deems it necessary to start charging regular fans to watch the games on the telly now? Under his stewardship the GAA has shown a complete disregard for the values on which the GAA was founded whilst also losing it's common touch! I honestly hope this 'proposed' Sky deal does not come to fruition and am counting down the days until the President Elect assumes control of this 'Once' great Association.

Disillusioned Fan.

BegToDiffer (Roscommon) - Posts: 3 - 27/03/2014 13:26:45    1565724

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 1829

1565709
Round ball I agree with you 100 % and when I said this would happen a lot of people on here said it would only be for England and America , it's disgusting what Liam o'neill is doing to the poor people In rural Ireland who are already cut off from most things, shame on you Liam o'neill.

What about the poor people in urban Ireland?!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 27/03/2014 13:27:03    1565725

In all seriousness though it'd be a shame if all Championship matches being shown on TV are not free to air.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 27/03/2014 13:28:09    1565726

Let's see the details of the deal before coming over all doom & gloom.

To read some posters you would swear that there will never be a game on terrestial tv ever again, despite the fact that Setanta have been showing games on pay for view for ages.

The GAA may not get everything right bit I'd say that what they are trying to do here is get a wider audience for our games which can only be a good thing.

Now if it turns out that Sky get sole rights to the pick of championship games then I will be amongst the first to storm the barricades, but I can't see that being the case. It may well be that if there are a number of big games on a particular Sunday then terrestial will get one & Sky will get one with highlights being shown later.

We will just have to wait & see.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 27/03/2014 13:42:42    1565731

Speaking on behalf of my own selfish interests I hope that they are doing this with the massive diaspora in mind. I am not prepared to subscribe to a channel in order to get the opportunity to watch the odd game now and again sandwiched amongst Aussie rugby league and motorsports a'la Premier Sport, I simply want to be able to purchase a game on an individual basis as suits my particular circumstances or tastes, thats not a lot for an exile to ask for surely.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 27/03/2014 13:44:41    1565734

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 2262

To read some posters you would swear that there will never be a game on terrestial tv ever again, despite the fact that Setanta have been showing games on pay for view for ages.

Have Setanta shown Championship matches live already?

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 27/03/2014 14:14:39    1565758

I'm with brendtheredhand. I also subscribe to Premier Sports in London and it's awful. For example, they're not showing Dublin v Mayo on Saturday night. Instead they're showing Meath v Down! No offence to the latter two, but I was hoping to watch a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final!

As the GAA seemingly have no intention of showing the games on free-to-air services abroad, I'd be delighted if they went with Sky. They might show RTE, TG4, etc, how to properly promote GAA.

scruff (UK) - Posts: 467 - 27/03/2014 14:55:24    1565787

Ok, this has nothing to do with showing the games abroad,or widening the appeal of the games, or making it available to the diaspora etc. Whats being discussed here is selling the IRISH TV rights to Championship games to Sky. That's the only thing that makes money for Sky, who experience a huge drop in sports viewership figures in Ireland during the summer months(during the Premier league summer break).

To quote a once popular American radio comedy, what a revoltin' development. People already pay a TV license, that should be enough to see any Championship game that's got camera's at it. And this is nothing like selling a few league games to pay-per-view channels, this is Championship matches, and it won't be fringe matches (Sky would need to make it worth the effort.) At least 2 All-Ireland quarter-finals are mentioned in the article. People should not have to subscribe to Sky to watch GAA. Most people I know at home don't have Sky, especially older people. My own parents don't have it, and aren't in a position to acquire it. And GAA games are a Sunday staple in the house. Plenty of others are the same.

The GAA aren't a bottom line organisation. If they were, players would get paid. I'd be very surprised if this deal actually happened.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 27/03/2014 15:39:29    1565819

"It is understood that RTE will continue as the main rights holder"

Well there you go, rest easy anyone who's going spectacularly over the top about the Gaa 'selling out', in anycase we don't know the full extent of the deal yet so lets just wait and see.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 27/03/2014 16:12:16    1565848

Htaem
County: Meath
"It is understood that RTE will continue as the main rights holder"
Well there you go, rest easy anyone who's going spectacularly over the top about the Gaa 'selling out', in anycase we don't know the full extent of the deal yet so lets just wait and see.

That phrase doesn't actually mean anything. If RTE's coverage was reduced to showing only 51% of televised Championship matches, they'd still the "main rights holder".
And while I don't see that people are "going spectacularly over the top" about this (in fairness, the fact that its been discussed at all is worthy of discussion), you're right, no-one knows the full extent of whats being discussed. I'd be hugely surprised if this actually happened, more likely its a way of getting more money out of Irish broadcasters for the domestic championship rights.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 27/03/2014 16:26:50    1565861

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 10556

1565697
But they already sell to other pay-for-view broadcasters... What is so different about sky?

GAA championship matches are free to air in Ireland. The GAA has little option regards broadcasting the games overseas unfortunately. It would be nigh on impossible to convince terrestrial stations to broadcast it... I wouldn't be overly concerned about the Setanta League deal.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 27/03/2014 16:38:32    1565870

Who would ye have on Gillete GAA Sunday with Jeff?

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11681 - 27/03/2014 16:41:41    1565872