GAA doing a deal with SkySports

[Sidney]

Comparisons with soccer are irrelevant, more accurate would be sports like rugby union/league, netball, etc. (what other sports do they show?). Success should also be measured by what we want to get from it. It's obviously not money in this first deal so is it increased international exposure, playing numbers or both?

I suspect a big part of this deal is it's a shot across the bows of RTE and this will hopefully wake them up a bit. The GAA doesn't need RTE half as much as RTE needs the GAA but you wouldn't know that to watch their coverage.

RTE has found that GAA rights are a buyers market up to now. It will not find that in three years and will need to get its act together big time.

[Hound]

Blaming Sky for some soccer clubs mis-managing the money that Sky paid to them is the absolute height of nonsense.

[armaghniac]

Perhaps the GAA should just buy TV3!

[Bingo]

The main financial benefits from this to the GAA aren't exclusively in the money or rather extra money they will gain from SKY. More so that they can now look for increased sponsorship levels from their main championship "partners" that they will now be exposing their branding to an easily accessible international market.

[Sidney]

Will we see crowds of barstoolers in English pubs goading each other as "their" counties do battle?

Will there be riots between the notorious Barking "Kingdom Loyal" Kerry supporters firm and Dagenham's "Union Jackeens"?

Will there be chants like:

"You know wot you aaahhhh
You know wot you aaaaaaahhhhhhhh
No-el O'Leary
You know wot you aaaaaaahhhhh"

Will the West Ham-Chelsea Super Sunday match have to be put back by 15 minutes because people won't leave the pubs because they're watching the end of the All-Ireland football final?

Will we see fans ringing into Talksport's phone in programme, "Radio GAA-GAA" shouting "I'm so proud Andy, we've only gone and dahn it! We've won the blaaddy Aw-Wyeland!"?

[roney]

The main financial benefits from this to the GAA aren't exclusively in the money or rather extra money they will gain from SKY. More so that they can now look for increased sponsorship levels from their main championship "partners" that they will now be exposing their branding to an easily accessible international market.

Can you tell me what nations Sky will be broadcasting to?

Ireland, UK, who else?

[orangeman]

GAA TV station was mooted at one time.

[Main Street]

Are Sky involved in bringing the games to audiences outside of the UK and Ireland? It's a genuine question.

Sky would have to buy the rights to broadcast GAA games outside UK and Ireland and so far they haven't.
Afaiaa, worldwide rights are a still in the hands of the GAA and RTE
So far, Sky has just obtained the exclusive rights to broadcast 14 games in Ireland and the UK
In Ireland, those 14 games can only be legally viewed via sky sports subscription.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Well can someone spell out exactly what the players do get out of it

[laoislad]

I hope Sky introduce 3D to Gaa games.
Hurling in 3D would be class.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

I hope Sky introduce 3D to Gaa games.
Hurling in 3D would be class.

Holy God, we'd be cowering behind our sofas if Anthony Nash stepped up to take a 20 metre free

[IolarCoisCuain]

Well can someone spell out exactly what the players do get out of it

They get to play football. Playing football is fun. People like to have fun. Do you see the pattern here? It's not like playing football is like being a Community Welfare Office in Rathkeale, you know.

[Ringfort]

Haven't been following the thread, don't really have time, but my 2 cents is that is negative development. Not disasterous in itself, yet, but Sky is a multinational corporation - purely motivated by pursuit of profit. It will not be good for our games, whose character and ethos, as a multinational corporation that will not give a damn about.

The door is creaking open futher and this to me is another step in the commercialisation of our games. There is very little that money doesn't corrupt. I suppose its a wonder the GAA has lasted as long the way it is.

Debate over the quality of punditry is incredibly short-sighted and its not that long ago that only AI semis and finals were shown live with highlights of the days action on a Sunday evening. The games should be protected by the state in my opinion and not sold out to the highest bidding, satanic, free-marketeer.

British soccer has been destroyed by these b**tards.

exolain how sky has destroyed english soccer.
Leaving out jealously about players wages.
at the moment the english have the 2nd best attended league in europe and by far and away the highest attended lower leagues anywhere in the world.
and played in stadiums that could hold the world cup at a few weeks notice . there's a tragic reason why that is but that does speak of a league that has been destroyed.
It may be a shite game but it cannot be faulted on an organizational or commercial level

Correct, on an organizational and commercial level it is peerless. They really know how to promote the hell out of any old crap. People whinging now about the RTE panel and their negativity might change their tune when we are bombarded with hyped up blockbuster clashes between Roscommon and Leitrim or Laois and Wexford full of worldclass top top top top players. 

Sure , Brit soccer appears all rosy and full of money. But it costs a fortune to follow a team sitting quietly in safe but sterile stadiums. For lifelong supporters the game bears little resemblance to how things were pre Premier League. Good, say some but for many more there is a huge disillusionment with the direction the sport has taken - all glitz, glam and superstar players. Pre Sky money you had the likes of Notts Forest, Derby, Villa, Aberdeen and Dundee Utd doing well in Europe. These regional clubs are buried now in favour of the wealthy elite who just buy in the trophy.

Fair enough this development does not necessarily mean the GAA will go that way, but one of the core attractions of the games are the parochial rivalries and tribal attachment to where you're from, not the 'star players' which Sky will hype to the nines and who, understandably enough being human, will want some monetary reward in exchange for wearing the county jersey. And if they are a Declan Browne or Emlyn Mulligan, the monetary rewards will be far greater in the green grass of the far away hill. In GAA, our big names, the likes of Colm Cooper and Anthony Daly are humble, personable everyday guys. There is a huge divide now between soccer players and the public which I would be loathe to see introduced to the GAA.

Basically, despite my garbled way of expressing my self, I see the whole thing as a can of worms.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Well can someone spell out exactly what the players do get out of it

They get to play football. Playing football is fun. People like to have fun. Do you see the pattern here? It's not like playing football is like being a Community Welfare Office in Rathkeale, you know.

I love your romantic idealism. This is surely the case with Junior B Level You seem to conveniently forget that to play at County level players must make huge sacrifices

[GalwayBayBoy]

GAA TV station was mooted at one time.

It will happen eventually but probably as an online channel rather than an actual TV channel. Pay a modest monthy or yearly subscription a la Netflix and get all the games live. Including a huge library of old games.