GAA doing a deal with SkySports

[armaghniac]

As the article says, UTV Internet offer NI geolocated IP addresses, yet those complaining would never dream of giving them the business in order to save 50p a week with some other crowd who they never even asked if they provided properly geolocated IP numbers. 

The GAA should negotiate a group scheme with someone, we will deliver 5000 customers if you geolocate the IP!

[orangeman]

The official guide says that all jersies, socks, togs etc should be of Irish manufacture. Great job.

An irish based television channel, TV3 got sacked from covering the games live in favour of a multi national who might be able to market the game better etc.

I can't see the GAA allowing NIKE or Adidas into the clothing market all the same.

[Syferus]

The official guide says that all jersies, socks, togs etc should be of Irish manufacture. Great job.

An irish based television channel, TV3 got sacked from covering the games live in favour of a multi national who might be able to market the game better etc.

I can't see the GAA allowing NIKE or Adidas into the clothing market all the same.

Sure can't they already with work-arounds? Adidas were doing the Kerry jersey by having a Dublin manufacturer produce the jersey for them.

[orangeman]

I love the description - a sweetheart deal. Also We shouldn't be so puritanical that the whole thought of having a treat should be taken away."

From today's Indo.

The GAA is negotiating with Sky Sports to see if they will do a special discounted subscription deal for clubs which would help ensure that their members don't miss out any of this summer's televised championship matches.

The Association has shipped a great deal of criticism in the past week for giving 14 of its championship games exclusively to the British subscription channel.

But that clamour could lessen if a special sweetheart deal for GAA clubs could be struck. That would certainly soften the blow as it would mean that clubs could get discounted subscriptions and show the games in their clubhouses and members would not have to shell out personally for the access.

The GAA's commercial director Peter McKenna has confirmed that negotiations are ongoing about the possibility of a discount for clubs.

"We will work with Sky and see if there are things we can do in terms of getting subscriptions for clubs and so forth," he said. "All of these things are happening as we speak.

"What we are trying to do is get them contact details with clubs, which Sky said they would want around the launch of the event. We are working on it at the moment."

AMMUNITION

The Sky deal gave further ammunition to the critics who allege that the GAA has become more interested in commercial profits than its grassroots and it signed its latest sponsorship deal yesterday.

The fact that the Association is adding its name to the wrapper of a chocolate bar (Cadbury's Moro) could attract further criticism, especially from the health lobby.

But the same company has been sponsoring the U-21 football championship for the past decade and the latest deal involves a competition that will offer two all-expenses-paid trips to Boston next autumn to watch the All Stars in action.

"Cadbury have been huge sponsors of the U-21s for years and they're huge employers in Coolock and have been for years," McKenna said. "The Moro bar is the only one that is manufactured in Ireland. Chocolate is a treat and it should always be seen as such. We shouldn't be so puritanical that the whole thought of having a treat should be taken away."

He said that the GAA distributes €44m every year and needs to sign commercial deals to maintain that.

"If we were to get a grant for €44m elsewhere we would do things differently, but that's unrealistic," McKenna added. "We have an obligation. We have €9m that's going to be spent on capital developments this year.

"There's another €10m that goes into county offices and other developmental activity. There's €14m being spent on game development and we have 100-odd development officers all over the country. The money is well spent."

[stibhan]

On twitter the only strong supporters of this move are the GAA hierarchy and Intercounty players/former Intercounty players.

Does anyone think that they have a better idea of the situation than most, or is it just because that group of individuals stand to gain the most?

[Zulu]

How do they gain the most?

[AZOffaly]

The official guide says that all jersies, socks, togs etc should be of Irish manufacture. Great job.

An irish based television channel, TV3 got sacked from covering the games live in favour of a multi national who might be able to market the game better etc.

I can't see the GAA allowing NIKE or Adidas into the clothing market all the same.

OK, hang tough there on that one.

TV3 is an Irish based broadcaster, which is owned by Doughty and Hanson, a British Private Equity FM. It employs 200 people in Ireland approx.

Sky is a British based broadcaster, owned by an Australian. It employs over 1,000 people in Ireland, approx.

So you're getting worked up about a British Owned broadcaster with 200 employees losing out to an Australian owned broadcaster who employs 1,000 people in Ireland?

[orangeman]

The official guide says that all jersies, socks, togs etc should be of Irish manufacture. Great job.

An irish based television channel, TV3 got sacked from covering the games live in favour of a multi national who might be able to market the game better etc.

I can't see the GAA allowing NIKE or Adidas into the clothing market all the same.

OK, hang tough there on that one.

TV3 is an Irish based broadcaster, which is owned by Doughty and Hanson, a British Private Equity FM. It employs 200 people in Ireland approx.

Sky is a British based broadcaster, owned by an Australian. It employs over 1,000 people in Ireland, approx.

So you're getting worked up about a British Owned broadcaster with 200 employees losing out to an Australian owned broadcaster who employs 1,000 people in Ireland?

Not getting worked up at all. This is all revenue neutral. 

[Rossfan]

On twitter the only strong supporters of this move are the GAA hierarchy and Intercounty players/former Intercounty players.

Does anyone think that they have a better idea of the situation than most, or is it just because that group of individuals stand to gain the most?

Ah well if it's on fcukin TWITTER ........ sure no more needs to be said.

[AZOffaly]

The official guide says that all jersies, socks, togs etc should be of Irish manufacture. Great job.

An irish based television channel, TV3 got sacked from covering the games live in favour of a multi national who might be able to market the game better etc.

I can't see the GAA allowing NIKE or Adidas into the clothing market all the same.

OK, hang tough there on that one.

TV3 is an Irish based broadcaster, which is owned by Doughty and Hanson, a British Private Equity FM. It employs 200 people in Ireland approx.

Sky is a British based broadcaster, owned by an Australian. It employs over 1,000 people in Ireland, approx.

So you're getting worked up about a British Owned broadcaster with 200 employees losing out to an Australian owned broadcaster who employs 1,000 people in Ireland?

Not getting worked up at all. This is all revenue neutral. 

I know it is, but I'm not buying the angle that Irish jobs are being done down here by Sky coming on board.

[easytiger95]

Just responding to a question from Fionntamhnach - the old GAA show that went out on Sky back in the late 90s, early noughties was called "Clash" - worked on it the odd time, it was an edited highlights package. It got rebranded around 2003? maybe to GAA2003/2004 etc.

They dropped it in around the time Setanta set up stand alone channels. But it was on Sky for at least six years.

[easytiger95]

A bit of hysteria here around jobs - TV3 have been shedding full time jobs for years, even with the GAA contracts, whereas Sky, when they broadcast from Ireland usually use Irish OB production facilities (of course TV3 would also have used Irish production facilities). Certainly there will be no jobs lost within those disciplines (freelancers move between productions all the time).

[orangeman]

This has been answered before I'm sure but how many subscriptions to Sky currently have in Ireland and what is the potential for Sky's growth in business ?

[AZOffaly]

I'm going to guess, but based on feedback over the last week, I think they have 5 (five) subscriptions in Ireland. They hope to grow it to 20 with these games.

[orangeman]

I'm going to guess, but based on feedback over the last week, I think they have 5 (five) subscriptions in Ireland. They hope to grow it to 20 with these games.

That being the case, all new subscriptions should be rewarded with one of these. They'll be sponsored of course but are made in Coolock and the milk comes from Nenagh and the cocoa farm is owned by one of the diaspora who bought a wee farm years ago out there after getting a big suspension after swinging a hurl in an inappropriate manner but thankfully he can see the games free now in his farm in Africa, a potential growth area for GAA, which was very evident after a team arrived in Stormont a few weeks ago.