Marlon_JD

In fairness some people were going pretty over the top regarding this issue on the previous thread = 'Selling out to Sky Sports', I just can't see the harm in the Gaa having a punt and selling some of our games to Sky. Worst case scenario it doesn't take off at all in the Uk and it just ends up back on our screens anyway so I'm pretty relaxed about it to be honest.

Until we actually see the deal though we can only speculate, I personally don't know how interested Sky would be in the Gaa market anyway considering there's only 6 million people on this island and I have no idea how many of them are into Gaa, lets say maybe a fifth. So the market is relatively very small, the only way Sky will really care about Gaa is if it takes off in the UK and it's hard to imagine that happening in a serious way, they might see it as a summer filler during the PL off season but that's about it.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 27/03/2014 16:42:13    1565877

only a matter of time until we're playing for the Coke Cola Sam Maguire Cup at the A.I.G Croke Park arena

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 27/03/2014 16:44:25    1565881

Id say all the Wicklow games will be on Sky,

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2954 - 27/03/2014 16:45:16    1565883

If this comes in then it will be catalyst for me to withdraw my services that I have been giving to the GAA on a voluntary basis over the last number years. No longer will I be willing to work on behalf of the orginisation in any role while they are out making money like this on the backs of thousands of people up and down the county who give over so much time, effort and expertise to make the GAA what it is. They have to realise that this is a two way street.

drumlinbelt (Monaghan) - Posts: 179 - 27/03/2014 16:51:01    1565890

roundball
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.

And they will be with sky at the table also... Maybe I am missing something here, but having to buy ntl to watch setanta to me is no different than having to buy a sky box...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/03/2014 17:01:49    1565896

where are the people now who assured us this was only going to be for the rights outside of ireland.
ten championship matches rights for sky is a disgrace,including 2 all ireland quarter finals.
the gaa loosing the plot with this,as ratings will go down big time.
what brits are going to tune into gaa? only irish over there
then your forcing people in ireland to now pay for something they already had all their lives for free
how do you expect to grow the games in ireland where 99% of gaa is played.
the only people who will gain from this is the pubs

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/03/2014 17:04:05    1565899

Htaem
County: Meath
In fairness some people were going pretty over the top regarding this issue on the previous thread = 'Selling out to Sky Sports', I just can't see the harm in the Gaa having a punt and selling some of our games to Sky. Worst case scenario it doesn't take off at all in the Uk and it just ends up back on our screens anyway so I'm pretty relaxed about it to be honest.
Until we actually see the deal though we can only speculate, I personally don't know how interested Sky would be in the Gaa market anyway considering there's only 6 million people on this island and I have no idea how many of them are into Gaa, lets say maybe a fifth. So the market is relatively very small, the only way Sky will really care about Gaa is if it takes off in the UK and it's hard to imagine that happening in a serious way, they might see it as a summer filler during the PL off season but that's about it.

Ok, again, this has nothing to do with showing the games in the UK, thats not Skys aim here. This is all about the Irish market, and Skys part of it. During the summer months, once the Premiership ends, Skys sports viewship in Ireland takes a nose dive. In order to plug that gap, they need something in Ireland to keep people watching. Now we both know that more than a fifth of the population watches gaelic games. GAA coverage would plug an important hole for its IRISH viewship. This article explains it better:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/money-talks-loudest-as-skys-the-limit-for-gaa-250313.html

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 27/03/2014 17:12:46    1565907

I still can't and don't envisage this actually happening. I believe it is a bargaining tool for the GAA to get the best possible deal from RTE/TV3/BBC/UTV.

The backlash would be too great i believe for them to really opt for SKY. How many direct quotes are in the article?

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 27/03/2014 17:23:21    1565913

I still can't and don't envisage this actually happening. I believe it is a bargaining tool for the GAA to get the best possible deal from RTE/TV3/BBC/UTV.

The backlash would be too great i believe for them to really opt for SKY. How many direct quotes are in the article?

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 27/03/2014 17:24:09    1565916

Feel sorry the casual supporters of the Dubs who don't have sky. There's only one thing Sky are after. This was inevitable really but don't think it's as bad as everyone is making it out as. Go and watch the game if it's that upsetting. Exposure + money = brilliant deal for the GAA. Might give Nugent and co. a bit of a wake up call as well.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 27/03/2014 17:39:37    1565927

Marlon_JD

Ok so it's about keeping Irish viewers in the summer months, but as a by-product Gaelic Games could receive far greater exposure in the UK, the article acknowledged that. But anyway again I would ask people not too worry too much, certainly not yet anyway, I find it hard too see RTE and TV3 being pushed out of the picture, I would imagine that they will still cover the majority of games, if not all the games.

Now we both know that more than a fifth of the population watches gaelic games.

Hey listen I'm not being smart, I just took a guess at a fifth because 1.5 million viewers (at peak) watched last years football final, it's probably more like a quarter or a third, anyway I'm not too concerned about that.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 27/03/2014 17:46:06    1565932

Exactly Hteam. People talking about sky taking over dont seem to realise that they need us to watch it. If we dont watch gaa on sky, why would they keep paying for the rights to it? Sky wouldnt be able to take over from rte, it just wouldnt happen. They dont have to offer them exclusive rights for a start, offer them shared rights to games. That way only people who dont have rte will watch it on sky.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/03/2014 17:54:16    1565936

drumlinbelt

No longer will I be willing to work on behalf of the orginisation in any role while they are out making money like this on the backs of thousands of people up and down the county who give over so much time, effort and expertise to make the GAA what it is.

Haha hold on, you already are working for such an organisation, well either that or I'm they only gombeen in Ireland paying money into Club and County matches. Also are RTE, TV3, Setanta and TV4 all setting up their match day cameras for absolutely zilch??? and is Garth Brooks getting into Croker for nothing come summer?

The Gaa has to make money to you know, otherwise it would cease to exist but fairplay to yourself and every other man and woman who do voluntary work to keep the Gaa alive. You's are a credit but I wouldn't down tools over them doing a deal to make money because they've already been doing that for many years now, it's nothing new.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 27/03/2014 17:58:36    1565940

MesAmis
County: Dublin
Posts: 7069

1565758
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?

It all depends on the details. RTE can only show one game at a time & if there is a clash then where is the harm?

Besides which many of the early championship games are no great miss. Things only take off once the provincial finals are being played.
Some of the back door games are brutal as well.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 27/03/2014 18:27:11    1565949

TheMaster
County: Mayo
They dont have to offer them exclusive rights for a start, offer them shared rights to games. That way only people who dont have rte will watch it on sky.

To be fair, I don't think that's likely. Why would anyone buy rights to show a game that's already been shown by another channel in the same area? Why would anyone subscribe to Sky to watch games they could still watch on RTE? More to the point, why would anyone sell advertising to Sky when they don't have exclusive rights to an event? I think if Sky only screened 10 games in Ireland, I'd imagine they'd require those games to not be shown by any other broadcaster in the market, there'd be no point otherwise.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 27/03/2014 18:29:15    1565950

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 10562

1565896
roundball
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.

And they will be with sky at the table also... Maybe I am missing something here, but having to buy ntl to watch setanta to me is no different than having to buy a sky box...

No they won't. You can get RTE, TV3 and TG4 on Saorview. Sky is subscription. As I said, I'm not too concerned about Saturday night league games being on subscription. Championship is another matter.

I'm presuming Sky will want at least some degree of exclusivity for their investment so top championship games will be beyond those who a) can't afford or b) don't want to line the pockets of the scoundrels behind BSkyB.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 27/03/2014 18:38:40    1565957

RebelCork
County: Cork
Posts: 585

1565927
Feel sorry the casual supporters of the Dubs who don't have sky. There's only one thing Sky are after. This was inevitable really but don't think it's as bad as everyone is making it out as. Go and watch the game if it's that upsetting. Exposure + money = brilliant deal for the GAA. Might give Nugent and co. a bit of a wake up call as well.

what exposure will sky bring when they have a smaller share of viewers to expose the sport too then
our national brodcaster which is available in every home in the country
your automaticaly reducing the availability of promoting your games when you reduce the amount of possible tvs that can be tuned in

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/03/2014 19:13:23    1565972

Well i presume if Sky are getting them they'll be broadcast in England? Therefore people will see it for the first time (exposure). If we're relying on TV matches to introduce the games to people in Ireland then i'm afraid the GAA is in a very bad place. Exposure is about introducing the games to new people, if you're living in Ireland and not a fan of GAA then watching the AI Qf is not going to change your mind. We've got enough exposure in Ireland on TV (football anyway), time to move on to bigger and better things.

RebelCork (Cork) - Posts: 789 - 27/03/2014 20:51:17    1566015

RebelCork
County: Cork
Posts: 586

1566015
Well i presume if Sky are getting them they'll be broadcast in England? Therefore people will see it for the first time (exposure). If we're relying on TV matches to introduce the games to people in Ireland then i'm afraid the GAA is in a very bad place. Exposure is about introducing the games to new people, if you're living in Ireland and not a fan of GAA then watching the AI Qf is not going to change your mind. We've got enough exposure in Ireland on TV (football anyway), time to move on to bigger and better things.

No I disagree. It's about giving younger players role models to aspire to. Kids are impressionable, the more they get to watch our top players the better. If Sky get the rights to broadcast it in the UK fine (NI excluded), but I seriously doubt that this is what this is about. I imagine that Sky would at least want an exclusive package of top games, certainly a better package than TV3 get.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 27/03/2014 21:33:09    1566024

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaa-to-announce-broadcasting-deal-with-sky-sports-1.1740874

Interesting times, will generate alot of anger id imagine especially from memebers of an older stock.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11681 - 28/03/2014 09:26:18    1566064