GAA doing a deal with SkySports

[Zulu]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

[Redhand Santa]

I personally think it would be a good move for the gaa to let sky get involved. The games are crying out for a bit of marketing and sky are excellent at this as can be seen from the success of other sports such as darts.

Rugby currently gets huge marketing in this country. You'd think to listen to the media it was by far and away the number one sport in the country. Yet it only has a fraction of the players or members of the gaa. It also attracts considerably less numbers to its games in the country and was well behind the gaa in the tv ratings last year with the gaa having 6 of the top 10 watched sports programmes. I would often check the tv ratings on tg4 their site and the gaa league games  beat the magners league nearly every week.  But despite this it gets all the back page headlines and hype from the radio stations and gets more coverage on sports bulletins. Guinness are now giving it huge marketing too with pubs up and down the country flying support Irish rugby Guinness flags.

The gaa is still out in front but needs to start fighting back and competing with this and using to the county games to keep the games high in people's minds. The tyrone Dublin league games showed what the gaa can do when it puts its mind to it but sadly for some reason they didn't try to build on this and the marketing of the Dublin games is well down. Why they didn't try to kick of the league very year with a huge lights display/fireworks and making it a national gaa celebration day I don't know. Saturday nights repeat of the all Ireland was an excellent game and great opportunity to promote the games but the Leinster rugby crowd kicked the gaa's ass at selling their game.

Obviously the semi finals on should be on free view but before this I'd be happy for a deal to be done with sky. There marketing would be a great boost for the game. Rte to me don't deserve any special favours. I've no doubt they spend more in the year on rugby and soccer and pay lip service to the gaa for 9 months of the year. Look at their league sunday and lack of effort for it. Their pundits spend their time criticising the games and do nothing to promote it.

Apart from sky's marketing expertise they would also bring the games to a wider audience which can only be positive. For some reason people are very quick to complain in the gaa about anything new and want the organisation to stand still and not try to continue to improve itself. It takes money to run the organisation and the more money we have the more it can be used to develop our games. If we'd set still there'd be no modern day croke park for example.

[armaghniac]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

[Eamonnca1]

Facts don't seem to stop you posting crap.

Well. I really don't know what to say to that.

[Eamonnca1]

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

Only if the GPA has their way.  All the indigenous development in the games outside of Ireland so far has been very much inside the GAA's tent.

[Zulu]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

Ah Jesus will ya stop. Think about what you've just said, American, British, German, Spanish or South African kids playing football or hurling is a bad thing, really? And what in the blue heaven do Sky want???

To listen to some lads around here you'd think there's nothing to developing a worldwide professional sport. I really don't get the lunacy that takes over some in the GAA when it comes to this type of thing.

A sporting behemoth like the NFL has failed, despite a few serious efforts, to develop American football as a viable professional entity outside America. And some lads reckon the GAA can do it with a few bob from Sky??? Jesus wept, what the hell do Sky care if GAA goes pro or not??

We've reached a new low in GAA warped thinking when fans of the sport don't want other people taking up the game.

[BennyHarp]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

How......? What the.....? Sky get what they want?  I'm actually lost for words. This is a mental post and the plain absurdity of it beggars belief. I'm glad the lads in GAA clubs abroad aren't doing any real harm to you proper GAA men.

[Rossfan]

Well said Zulu and Benny. Some right clownish posts on this subject God help us.
And for that Eamoncal's info the GPA are well inside the GAA tent too so please  lose the paranoia/obsession.

[armaghniac]

Well said Zulu and Benny. Some right clownish posts on this subject God help us.

Whether or not you agree, I don't think that an opinion that overseas development is a essentially a distraction to the GAA should be characterised as clownish.

Edit: further confirmation of Sky deal on RTÉ 11am news, perhaps it is all an April Fool!

[J OGorman]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

Ah Jesus will ya stop. Think about what you've just said, American, British, German, Spanish or South African kids playing football or hurling is a bad thing, really? And what in the blue heaven do Sky want???

To listen to some lads around here you'd think there's nothing to developing a worldwide professional sport. I really don't get the lunacy that takes over some in the GAA when it comes to this type of thing.

A sporting behemoth like the NFL has failed, despite a few serious efforts, to develop American football as a viable professional entity outside America. And some lads reckon the GAA can do it with a few bob from Sky??? Jesus wept, what the hell do Sky care if GAA goes pro or not??

We've reached a new low in GAA warped thinking when fans of the sport don't want other people taking up the game.

a sport like gridiron with its 100 players / team, ad breaks every 2 mins, players dressed up like there are gonna defuse a bomb etc could only exist in the U.S.

[Zulu]

Well said Zulu and Benny. Some right clownish posts on this subject God help us.

Whether or not you agree, I don't think that an opinion that overseas development is a essentially a distraction to the GAA should be characterised as clownish.

Edit: further confirmation of Sky deal on RTÉ 11am news, perhaps it is all an April Fool!

You suggested that non-Irish people playing GAA around the world would lead to Sky getting what it wanted (whatever the hell that is?) was completely and utterly ridiculous and you haven't been able to defend it.

Can you even elaborate on how it is a distraction?

[Syferus]

It doesn't add up Seanie. We may end up in a scenario where there are a small number of professionals within a county team, in much the same manner that cricket and rugby used to work in Ireland i.e. some counties will find the money (through sponsorship) to allow a handful of players to give up "normal" work. But in return they're a paid employee of their team (county board) and will do what's asked of them, from coaching and administration, through to cleaning toilets.

Personally, I don't see this as a bad thing; it's a person making a living, and It's happening informally across the country at present. Supply and demand though will ensure it never gets beyond these levels.

This is fair comment. However some people here seem to envisage people playing GAA in South America, Africa and Antarctica. This type of international development is not desirable, in my opinion. Fortunately is is entirely unlikely.

Why on earth is it not desirable?

As long as GAA teams abroad are a place for a few emigrants to get together, there is no real harm in them. But if they develop a life of their own then they will be outside the control of the GAA and Sky will get what they want.

Ah Jesus will ya stop. Think about what you've just said, American, British, German, Spanish or South African kids playing football or hurling is a bad thing, really? And what in the blue heaven do Sky want???

To listen to some lads around here you'd think there's nothing to developing a worldwide professional sport. I really don't get the lunacy that takes over some in the GAA when it comes to this type of thing.

A sporting behemoth like the NFL has failed, despite a few serious efforts, to develop American football as a viable professional entity outside America. And some lads reckon the GAA can do it with a few bob from Sky??? Jesus wept, what the hell do Sky care if GAA goes pro or not??

We've reached a new low in GAA warped thinking when fans of the sport don't want other people taking up the game.

a sport like gridiron with its 100 players / team, ad breaks every 2 mins, players dressed up like there are gonna defuse a bomb etc could only exist in the U.S.

The NFL is a case study in the power of television in developing sports aboard.

[Lazer]

I do not agree with GAA games going to paid subscriptions.

They should all be free to air on both for everyone both North and South.

I have already stopped going to lots of away games as I simply can't justify the cost of fuel for some of them, depending on where they are.
I am not going to the Down Laois game, as it will cost about £50 to get there.

I don't tend to watch many games on TV, but if I'm not doing anything of a Saturday or sunday and there is a game on I do tend to watch it, especially the championship, so if it's not on I won't be watching them - the gaa has a lot of viewers like me, and we won't be paying subsciptions.

I don't currently have a sky subscription at all and to get one with sky sports would be £37 a month - no way would i pay that to watch 10 games a year and I have no interest in any other sports.

Sell skys the rights to simulcast by all means but the games should be free to air, and preferably on RTE (without SKY being able to block RTE).

[DennistheMenace]

Don't see the issue to be honest. Wonder who will head it up in terms of anchor, reporters etc..

[ziggysego]

Paddy Heaney in today's Irish News

Why go to a match when you can complain about Sky showing it?

IF the negotiations between Croke Park and Sky run smoothly, the GAA will announce details of its new TV and radio rights deal today or tomorrow.

There has been widespread speculation that Sky Sports has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to 14 Championship games. But those 14 games are only part of Sky's package. In addition to acquiring eight Saturday evening Qualifiers, two Saturday evening and two Sunday provincial Championship games, and two All-Ireland football quarter-finals, Sky has also purchased 'simulcast rights' to the semi-finals and finals of the All-Ireland football and hurling Championships. That's an additional six matches, which brings Sky's total for the summer to 20.

There is now a distinct possibility that RTE and Sky Sports 3 will be showing the All-Ireland semi-finals and finals at the same time. Subscribers to Sky Sports will be able to choose between the two channels.

Contrary to some reports, RTE's coverage will remain largely unaffected. During last year's Championship, RTE showed 31 games. For the next three years, RTE will continue to show 31 games. Their package includes all the provincial finals. The BBC will continue to cover the games in the Ulster Championship which are broadcast by RTE.

The big losers are TV3, the station which showed nine games in last year's Championship. TV3 are no longer part of the equation. Given that TV3 isn't available in huge chunks of the North, there will not be a huge amount of weeping about that particular revelation.

Under the last deal, RTE (31) and TV3 (nine) broadcast a total of 40 Championship games. From 2014 to 2017, it will be possible to watch 45 games, 31 on RTE, and another 14 for those who are willing to sign up to Sky Sports. Even before the details of the GAA's TV rights deal have been confirmed, the backlash has started. Former Kerry footballer Tommy Walsh, who joined the Sydney Swans five years ago, outlined his views via Twitter.

Walsh wrote: "So our 'amateur' game is now being sold to Sky? There is no other sport in the world where players and supporters are taken advantage of more!"

Derry County Board chairman John Keenan has voiced his opposition to games being broadcast on subscription channels. "I would not favour asking our patrons to pay to watch gaelic games [on TV]. I am in favour of having all our games being available to all classes and creeds," said Keenan.

A few years ago, I would have been in total agreement with the Derry chairman. However, my views on this issue have changed somewhat. For the continued promotion of gaelic games, it remains extremely important that matches are aired on free-to-air television.

But let's consider the amount of fixtures which are available on RTE and TG4. Under the new deal, RTE will show 31 Championship games. TG4 will show 62 live and 22 deferred games. That's 93 live games.

Now, let's examine the identity of your stereotypical armchair viewer.

John Keenan's native county Derry represents an excellent case-study. The county has a population of roughly 250,000. Sunday's home game against Kildare attracted a crowd of 2,429. That's equates to less than one per cent of the population.

Using this formula, Dublin don't fare much better. Saturday night's attendance of approximately 22,000 in Croke Park might sound good. But Dublin is a city of nearly 1.5 million. That crowd represents about two per cent of the population.

The bottom line is the vast majority of television viewers never darken the turnstile of a GAA ground. They don't pay into county games. They don't support their clubs. They don't pay club memberships. They contribute nothing.

Why are these people automatically entitled to watch every GAA game free-of-charge? Where is it written that all gaelic football and hurling matches must be broadcast on terrestrial channels?

Let's not forget that for the purpose of this debate, we are talking about the loss of nine games from a station which wasn't even available nationwide. Naturally, once Sky enters the arena, the GAA will be accused of succumbing to corporate greed. But this is just a lazy sound-bite, which is normally flung around by people who know nothing about the GAA.

Just look at Croke Park's two leading figures. The director-general is Paraic Duffy, a dyedin-the-wool GAA man, who never misses a Monaghan game. As a character, Duffy is about as far removed from a corporate fat cat as you can get. He is the former principal of St Macartan's, Monaghan.

The GAA president is Liam O'Neill. Cut from much the same cloth as Duffy, the Laois man is the principal of a primary school. While the GAA's commercial director Peter McKenna might have headed the negotiations with Sky, he would have taken his direction from Duffy and O'Neill. It's understood that the GAA will not make a huge amount of money from Sky. Next year's financial figures will show that the new contract will net a marginally larger figure than the last deal. Croke Park's main motivation for allowing Sky to join the table goes back to the primary purpose of the GAA - they believe it's the best way for the Association to promote its games, not just in Ireland but in Britain and further afield.

If the National League is a taster for the Championship, there is no reason why gaelic games can't attract a wider audience.

If Irish people can become avid fans of American football, it is not beyond the realms of fantasy that the Scottish, English and Welsh will start watching football and hurling.

There is no doubt that Tommy Walsh will have voiced the sentiments of many people. But the GAA has no need to apologise for this deal. The GAA is perfectly entitled to sell their games to whomever they please.

It's hardly corporate greed when 80 per cent of all revenue is redistributed to the provincial councils and county boards. Besides, there are plenty of games on terrestrial television - 93 of them to be exact.

The armchair viewers who want to see more, but who don't want to subscribe to Sky, always have the option of getting off their backsides and going to one.