GAA doing a deal with SkySports

[BennyHarp]

Just watched the highlights show there - does what it says on the tin, without the need for shakalakaboombooming!!

I don't have Sky, so I tried to watch this on a free (Ok, pirate) stream. On that, Sky3 is showing cricket. Is the GAA highlights show only transmitted in Ireland?

It's on again at 12am on Sky Sports 3, though I had Sky plussed it. I'm in England so it's not just on in Ireland.

[Zulu]

No, cricket been shown over here too. I presume the cricket is live and as the 11pm GAA show is a repeat of an earlier one then they are staying with the cricket for some reason.

[Hardy]

OK - thanks, both.

[Eamonnca1]

Why should RTE get first dibs? They do a reasonable job with hurling but their shock jock pundits in football are an embarrassment.

I would prefer the best games are free to air in Ireland.

You know what'd be good? If all games were free to air everywhere. But the reality of the broadcasting market is that you have to build a viewing audience, and prove the concept of building the audience, before terrestrial channels will be interested in carrying the games.

[BennyHarp]

OK - thanks, both.

Yes, the cricket is live, the planner is saying the Championship review is on at 12.30 now. It has been repeated 2 or 3 times now on Sky sports 3 and 4.

[armaghniac]

Why should RTE get first dibs? They do a reasonable job with hurling but their shock jock pundits in football are an embarrassment.

I would prefer the best games are free to air in Ireland.

You know what'd be good? If all games were free to air everywhere. But the reality of the broadcasting market is that you have to build a viewing audience, and prove the concept of building the audience, before terrestrial channels will be interested in carrying the games.

The GAA already has a large audience in Ireland,  far greater than it will ever get with the gougers Sky. It is part of the community in a way that it will never be with at the hands of Rupert Murdoch.

[BennyHarp]

Why should RTE get first dibs? They do a reasonable job with hurling but their shock jock pundits in football are an embarrassment.

I would prefer the best games are free to air in Ireland.

You know what'd be good? If all games were free to air everywhere. But the reality of the broadcasting market is that you have to build a viewing audience, and prove the concept of building the audience, before terrestrial channels will be interested in carrying the games.

The GAA already has a large audience in Ireland,  far greater than it will ever get with the gougers Sky. It is part of the community in a way that it will never be with at the hands of Rupert Murdoch.

From a very personal point of view, I was delighted that, after travelling a 50 mile round trip to take a training session, I could come home, lie on my sofa and watch an hour long highlights package of pure football and hurling. I have never been able to this in the twelve years I have been making that journey as both player and coach and I for one feel that at last in some small way the GAA is fulfilling a gap in the market for me. Yes, some live games are on Premier Sports and I tape them all but I generally flick through as I don't have time to watch it all. It was nice to see highlights (although pretty brief) of Kildare v Louth and Clare v Waterford - games that never would be on Prem Sports. I couldn't care less about the "gougers" at Sky or Rupert Murdoch as I personally feel better off. And I do apologise, but I care little about the few people in Ireland who may not get to see the odd game - nobody in Ireland seemed too bothered about me for the last 12 years.

[armaghniac]

but I care little about the few people in Ireland who may not get to see the odd game

That figures.

[Eamonnca1]

The GAA already has a large audience in Ireland,

There you go again. Talking as if Ireland's the only country in the world.

far greater than it will ever get with the gougers Sky.

Wrong. The GAA outside of Ireland has the potential to dwarf the GAA in Ireland.

[armaghniac]

Wrong. The GAA outside of Ireland has the potential to dwarf the GAA in Ireland.

Is this desirable? Either the GAA is a novelty in other places, decorative but useless, or it becomes big as you say. All that would result from the latter is professionalism and the Boston Billionaires playing the Portland Plutocrats entirely outside the control of the GAA as we know it. Clubs might miss the odd player to the county game, but when any half decent player leaves to play for these empires entirely the impact would be much much worse.

[Eamonnca1]

Wrong. The GAA outside of Ireland has the potential to dwarf the GAA in Ireland.

Is this desirable? Either the GAA is a novelty in other places, decorative but useless, or it becomes big as you say. All that would result from the latter is professionalism and the Boston Billionaires playing the Portland Plutocrats entirely outside the control of the GAA as we know it. Clubs might miss the odd player to the county game, but when any half decent player leaves to play for these empires entirely the impact would be much much worse.

Long story. I'm doing a revised edition of my book to deal with this scenario. The short answer is the GAA can keep control over the game, and a professional game wouldn't have to destroy the community ethos of the association if it's structured properly.

[Zulu]

but when any half decent player leaves to play for these empires entirely the impact would be much much worse.

Well grassroots soccer the world over seems to be doing ok, they even have our famed volunteers and grass cutters. That won't happen anyway, a sport can be more than 'decorative but useless' while never being big in every country.

I don't understand where you're coming from at all armaghniac, there are a handful of games covered exclusively by Sky and while the TV rights packages for Sky and others may develop over the years there'll never be a time when the vast majority of games are not free to air in Ireland. On the other hand TV deals like the one with Sky help promote the GAA the world over and this can only help those of us who are trying to grow the game abroad. It seems like a win win to me. 

[Rossfan]

I suspect some ( mainly north of the Black pigs dyke??) want the GAA to remain in a sort of a "ghettobubble" so as we can keep all them oul foreigners away from it.

[armaghniac]

I suspect some ( mainly north of the Black pigs dyke??) want the GAA to remain in a sort of a "ghettobubble" so as we can keep all them oul foreigners away from it.

You may be right. Of course that doesn't include me, who was brought up south of the Black Pigs Dyke.
But I'd like to see more thought given into promoting the GAA in the many parts of the North where it is not popular, and this should be ranked above promotion in Spain or Korea.

[Zulu]

But developing the GAA in areas of the North isn't hampered by efforts to develop the game in other parts of the world and the Sky deal certainly doesn't hamper it.