Virgin Media has thrown a spanner into Ireland’s GAA broadcasting debate after releasing a statement questioning whether the national broadcaster, RTÉ, paid anything for the rights secured by GAAGO. The Irish broadcaster subsequently denied claims made by former hurler Donal Óg Cusack that hurling was being exploited to boost subscriber numbers of the RTÉ/GAA streaming service. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, added his voice to the clamouring for all of the GAA’s games to be made available free-to-air. The debate has been ignited in the wake of Sky’s exit from the arena, resulting in the GAA signing a five-year deal for the rights between 2023 and 2027. In this article, we will explore the ins and outs of the GAA broadcasting deal, including what it means for Irish viewers and what the future may hold for GAA broadcasting.
The latest grenade thrown into the GAA broadcasting debate has come from Virgin Media, which is questioning whether RTÉ paid anything for the broadcasting rights secured by GAAGO. The national broadcaster, a joint venture between the GAA and RTÉ, allows Irish fans to live stream GAA matches to their mobile phones, tablets and computers. This move has come under scrutiny since Sky Sports decided not to renew their broadcasting rights for the competition, resulting in the GAA signing the new five-year deal to cover the years between 2023 and 2027. This move, which puts some of the most exciting games behind a paywall, has proved controversial, and Virgin Media has added fuel to the fire by questioning whether RTÉ paid anything for the rights secured by GAAGO.
The GAA has maintained that they had meetings with Virgin Media before the deal was finalised, but Virgin Media has released an official statement in which they claim that the GAA made no contact with them after Sky’s exit from the market. Virgin Media also raises the question as to whether the new arrangement is merely an attempt to drive incremental revenues for both partners. The broadcaster cited the fact that RTÉ now has more sports rights than it can show and given the multimillion increases in State funding to RTÉ in recent years, taxpayers are now being forced to subsidise the broadcaster by paying for GAA sports content through its joint venture with the GAA.
However, Croke Park officials have expressed surprise at Virgin Media’s statements, claiming that they had numerous meetings discussing media rights for games in advance of the most recent deal being finalised. Declan McBennett, group head of RTÉ Sport, who has been at the centre of the storm, has denied claims that the Munster Hurling Championship is being used to boost GAAGO subscribers and that there are now more free-to-air GAA games on television than ever before. In turn, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, has added his tuppence worth, suggesting that all GAA games should be available free-to-air. The debate rumbles on.
In conclusion, the GAA broadcasting rights deal for the years 2023-2027 has come under intense scrutiny since some of the most exciting GAA matches are now behind a paywall. This has spurred on an intense debate, with many calling for all the games to be made available free-to-air. Virgin Media has thrown its hat into the ring, questioning whether RTÉ paid anything for the rights secured by GAAGO. The GAA maintains that they had numerous meetings with Virgin Media before the deal was finalised, but the controversy rages on. With some of the most exciting games now available exclusively on GAAGO, what the future holds for GAA broadcasting remains to be seen.
