GAAGo and other gripes

[snoopdog]

If rte have a share of gaago why can't they have a TV channel for it. And if you've subscribed then it's there and cut out all the buffering crap.

[RedHand88]

If rte have a share of gaago why can't they have a TV channel for it. And if you've subscribed then it's there and cut out all the buffering crap.

That would require some sort of box to descramble the signal, similar to a Sky box. Not feasible to have that for one channel on 20 days a year.

[bennydorano]

If rte have a share of gaago why can't they have a TV channel for it. And if you've subscribed then it's there and cut out all the buffering crap.

That would require some sort of box to descramble the signal, similar to a Sky box. Not feasible to have that for one channel on 20 days a year.

How (why it alreadly isn't is the real Q) could it not be added as a digital channel to Saorview or the Sky platform along with the thousands of other digital channels?? - in addition an online presence for overseas. Its obviously a cost issue but with the misuse of public funds such a high profile issue atm now is the time to get it sorted

[RedHand88]

If rte have a share of gaago why can't they have a TV channel for it. And if you've subscribed then it's there and cut out all the buffering crap.

That would require some sort of box to descramble the signal, similar to a Sky box. Not feasible to have that for one channel on 20 days a year.

How (why it alreadly isn't is the real Q) could it not be added as a digital channel to Saorview or the Sky platform along with the thousands of other digital channels?? - in addition an online presence for overseas. Its obviously a cost issue but with the misuse of public funds such a high profile issue atm now is the time to get it sorted

I'm not sure but I would guess Saorview doesn't have the ability to decode a PPV signal, it only picks up free to air TV? Sky boxes can do this obviously because it's a subscription service, but then you'd need every old person in the country to have a satellite box/dish.

[Captain Scarlet]

Gaago will be in the firing line next week it seems
RTÉ head of sport Declan McBennett is meant to appear...

Again, they will probably get lost in grandstanding but the issue is being on two boards at once. Also is it, or is it not a commercial entity.

[Captain Scarlet]

This week. RTÉ and GAA due before the committee.

[seafoid]

The allegation that the GAA and RTÉ connive to put popular matches on GAAGO while fixtures of little or no interest go out on television

[skeog]

Be a good step if they published what the presenters are getting.

[seafoid]

If rte have a share of gaago why can't they have a TV channel for it. And if you've subscribed then it's there and cut out all the buffering crap.

That would require some sort of box to descramble the signal, similar to a Sky box. Not feasible to have that for one channel on 20 days a year.

They could do club matches. Ask Franko.

[thewobbler]

Be a good step if they published what the presenters are getting.

Why?

From a consumer's point of view this is the least of our worries.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Be a good step if they published what the presenters are getting.

Why?

From a consumer's point of view this is the least of our worries.

Are the presenters and other staff being paid by RTE or GAAGO Ltd?

I think that is very relevant to understanding the broader issue

[seafoid]

The problem is that punters want all matches on RTE.
And the GAA has created too many games for RTE.
Maybe they could allocate all Ulster matches to GaaGo standard and get BBCNI to broadcast them.
A lot of ulster matches are shite anyway.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/media/2023/07/12/watch-live-rte-crisis-ryan-tubridy-media-committee-latest-noel-kelly-kevin-bakhurst-payments-latest-gaago/

Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin, from Kerry, asked GAA representatives to consider a county quota for free-to-air broadcasts. Mr Griffin cited his sense of disappointment that young children couldn't see a particularly skillful pass from Kerry's David Clifford in a match against Tyrone.
In response, director general Tom Ryan said the GAA doesn't operate a county quota at the moment, and that he wasn't sure how "practical" such a system would be.
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14:48
Peter McKenna, chief commercial officer at the GAA, said the organisation broadcasts over 300 games across GAAGo and free-to-air, whereas that figure was 170 in previous contracts.
He said only 50 of those were behind a paywall, whereas 52 were in the last broadcast contract.
Eir Sport used to put National League matches behind a paywall, Mr McKenna said, whereas these are now on RTÉ and TG4. The total percentage of paywall matches is 16 to 17 per cent he said, with that figure previously being up at 30 per cent.
Director general Tom Ryan said the most popular matches on GAAGo attract an audience of in excess of 120,000 people, with the smallest audiences coming in at between 1,000 and 1,500 subscribers.
Mr Ryan said broadcast money represents 20 per cent of the GAA's revenue. Asked what percentage of that comes from GAAGo, he said between 10 and15 per cent.
Senator Shane Cassells noted that is a "significant" proportion of the broadcast money coming from GAAGo.
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14:40
Nathan Johns reports:
Following an earlier statement from director general Tom Ryan that all other broadcasters were approached at the end of the Sky deal and expansion of GAAGo, Imelda Munster asked if Virgin Media were contacted as, according to her, they said they were never approached.
Peter McKenna, chief commercial officer of the GAA, said: "Virgin Media were contacted on several occasions. Virgin media preferred a ready to go option, they wouldn't do the production that was required."
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14:33
GAA director general Tom Ryan has acknowledged the cost of €12 per match streamed on GAAGo may be too high a price for some customers.
In response to questions from Peter Fitzpatrick, who said €12 a match was too high "particularly for old people", Mr Ryan said he "noted" the feedback. "We'll be looking at our pricing again going forward."
Mr Fitzpatrick said he thought the annual cost of €79 for all matches was "good value."
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14:20
Unsurprisingly, the GAAGo issue continues to dominate discussion, with GAA director general Tom Ryan being told of a number of individuals who could not watch a Cork hurling match due to being unable to stream.
"I'm not deaf to any of those issues. The feedback the members of the Oireachtas were getting, we were getting that too," he said.
"When there are limitations in capacity, there are choices that have to be made. It really is a question of GAAGo is showing more games than we were ever able to broadcast before, free-to-air has more games that are broadcasted but I don't think we will ever get to the situation where every game is broadcast."
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14:06
Tom Ryan said the "specific purpose" of GAAGo when it was first created in 2014 was to reach the diaspora. However, the Covid pandemic changed that.
"We kind of tore up the broadcasting model. We morphed from an overseas and international provider to a domestic market," he said.
Asked how much of GAAGo's income is derived from domestic viewers versus international, Mr Ryan said he did not have that information, but he believes the domestic impact is greater. The body will accrue around €4 million annually from GAAGo.
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14:00
GAA's director general Tom Ryan said the organisation did approach other broadcasters when the contract with Sky ended, in a process that lasted for around a year.
"We approached every broadcaster. Everybody had the option," he said.
Sinn Féin's Chris Andrews asked Mr Ryan if he believes RTÉ's involvement in GAAGo, which it co-owns, is in conflict with its remit as a public service broadcasters, asking can it "serve two masters?"
"I don't have any particular expertise in RTÉ's public service obligations," Mr Ryan said. "Our GAAGo perspective is from the GAA and we do our best to ensure the interests of the GAA are best served in that venture."
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13:51
GAA director Tom Ryan said the games being aired on GAAGo would previously have been shown on either Sky TV or "probably not shown at all".
"GAAGO has existed and flourished for eight years. The new arrangements and schedule were launched six months before a ball was even pucked. But a date change for one game that was beyond our control, the fantastic match that followed, and some unfortunate commentary around coverage set us on a difficult trajectory for the summer," he said.
"It is great that people want to see our matches, and the hurling and football this summer have been remarkable. But the expectation that every single game should be on television is just not realistic. It's not in our interest, and not in our plans."