Gavin Cooney

THE GAA BELIEVE “unfortunate” public commentary around their streaming service GAAGo set the platform on what they describe as a “difficult trajectory” this summer.

The streaming platform – a joint-venture between the GAA and RTE – took over live rights to Championship matches this year after Sky Sports decided not to renew their rights deal.

It faced stinging criticism earlier this summer from Sunday Game panelist Dónal Óg Cusack after the thrilling Munster Championship clashes between Cork and Tipperary and Limerick against Waterford were shown on GAAGo rather than on free-to-air TV.

“Hurling needs oxygen”, said Cusack.

“I have no issue with pay per view. By next weekend, when Clare play Waterford, four of the biggest Munster Championship games will have been on pay per view”, later asking whether the GAA and RTE are “exploiting” hurling, saying “it looks like they are using hurling to get this joint-venture off the ground.”

Cusack’s comments created a public firestorm, with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste both saying games of Cork/Tipp’s import should be shown on terrestrial TV.

The GAA and RTE will both appear the Oireachtas Sport Committee this afternoon under a discussion titled the Future of Sports Broadcasting.

Although other major sports bodies and broadcasters will be in attendance alongside them, the topic of GAAGo is likely to dominate conversation.

In an opening statement to be read today and which has been submitted to Committee in advance, the GAA explain the rationale behind GAAGo and lament the effect of the discourse around the streaming service.

“The number of games on free to air games is higher than ever before”, reads the statement, which has been seen by The 42.

“Furthermore, those games that are on GAAGo would previously either have been on Sky TV or more probably not shown at all. So, the advent of the service is an exciting and positive departure.

“GAAGo has existed and flourished for eight years. The new [broadcast] 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 up on a difficult trajectory for the summer.”

The date change above refers to the Munster hurling clash between Limerick and Waterford, which was due to be staged on a Sunday and screened on RTE but moved to Saturday – and thus GAAGo – because of the Great Limerick Run.

RTE Head of Sport Declan McBennett will also addressed GAAGo in his opening statement to the Committee.

“While not everyone will agree with the model it has changed the GAA landscape allowing more games than ever to be broadcast”, reads his statement.

“Access to those games is an issue which has been acknowledged by both parent companies of the joint venture while the pricing, membership discount, flexibility over scheduling and the direct to GAA clubs and care establishment elements are all significant benefits afforded by the venture.

“Critically it allows RTE to increase its free to air coverage and have a year-round calendar footprint in the GAA by generating revenue which does not come from a decreasing licence fee fund and contracting commercial returns.”

McBennett also says GAAGo does not conflict with free to air games broadcasts, citing an increase of almost 30 live games on RTE in the last four years.

Separately, the GAA will today pour cold water on expanding to broadcast every Championship match, saying 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.”

Today’s Committee proceedings get underway at 1.30pm, with delegates from the GAA, FAI, IRFU, Sport Ireland, the Federation of Irish Sport, RTE, Virgin Media TV, TG4, Sky Ireland, and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland all slated to attend.

The Federation of Irish Sport – an umbrella organisation representing 81 national sports governing bodies in Ireland – will call for the return of a magazine-style TV show like Sports Stadium to promote minority sports, along with a minimum broadcast quota for women’s sport on terrestrial TV.

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