2017-2019 GAA TV Rights Deals

munchkin_utd

Not necessarily news as such, but it's the first reports that there's happenings behind the scenes in advance of the new round of negotiations / deals.

The GAA is planning to complete its latest TV and radio broadcasting rights deals by the end of this year, rather than allowing them to drag into 2017.

The current three-year contracts expire at the end of this season and negotiations are already under way for a share-out which will be watched with keen interest.
The decision to include Sky Sports in the 2014-'15-'16 deal caused a major controversy, with opposition expressed within sections of the GAA over the link-up with a subscription channel.

Dublin brought a motion to Congress this year, seeking that all inter-county games be available free to air but it wasn't well-received and lost on an 85-15 per cent vote.
Under the deal, Sky has exclusive access to 14 championship games, while RTE remained the dominant player with 31 games.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaa-keen-to-strike-early-rights-deal-as-tv-negotiations-loom-34863484.html

The timing of the article a day or 2 after Eir (formerly Eircom) launches 6 free sports channels to broadband customers in the 26counties is notable, but would the GAA sell the rights to a company which will have zero coverage in Northern Ireland (unless premier sports came on board to fill that gap maybe?)

Fr Tod Umptious

What will be interesting will be what Sky do.

Did the last 3 season yield them enough subs to bit for another 3 seasons ?

munchkin_utd

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

What will be interesting will be what Sky do.

Did the last 3 season yield them enough subs to bit for another 3 seasons ?

That's one metric, but they'd also be looking at surveys as to why people continued with it or whether people felt the channel offered enough for their irish customers.

And, you cant forget the shocking cost of a pub sky licence, and with 14 early Saturday evening games, you'd think there was some success on that front.
I know of one local pub in a small town previously with no sky who got it in specifically because of the GAA rights so multiply that across the country and the cash accumulates very quickly.

The sports packages range between €420 to €1,224 per month (5040 to 14688 per year) so presuming a cost of €1million a year, the whole thing could be financed from less than a couple of hundred pubs out of the estimated 7500 pubs in the country.
Seriously, if a mere 2.6% of pubs subscribe to the cheapest package, then sky has their royalties cost covered !

howiya

TV3 are also more financially stable this time around but have little or no coverage in the north. UTV Ireland could make an offer now that they're backed by ITV

ProudDUB

Eir Sports is just the same old Setanta/BT channel package, with a spiffy, newly rebranded name. I don't think they are a new player in the GAA telly rights market. You used to have to pay for them. If you had UPC, you got Setanta Ireland free. You had to subscribe to the Setanta Sports Package to get the others. Now, if you are an Eir subscriber, you get all 6 for free. It's still the same old Setanta/BT channels though.

howiya

ProudDUB wrote: »

Eir Sports is just the same old Setanta/BT channel package, with a spiffy, newly rebranded name. I don't think they are a new player in the GAA telly rights market. You used to have to pay for them. If you had UPC, you got Setanta Ireland free. You had to subscribe to the Setanta Sports Package to get the others. Now, if you are an Eir subscriber, you get all 6 for free. It's still the same old Setanta/BT channels though.

It's the same old package but Eir has bought Setanta with the intent of increasing uptake of their other services by packaging them together.

Content is key in this regard so they'll be looking to add to what they have and in reality announcing in July 2016 that they've secured the rights to the 2019 World Cup won't increase subscriptions now.

They might not win the bidding process for the GAA championship tv rights but I'd be very surprised if they didn't try. Although they do already have a link to the championship through their sponsorship of it

PTH2009

Rte must get the rights for GAA again. They are losing the Six Nations Rugby from 2018 and Eir Sports have got the 2019 Rugby World Cup. If RTE lost the GAA coverage than its a disaster for them

Never a fan of TV3 doing sport. Sky Sports are OK doing the GAA although the constant Peter Canavan ads and general ass kissing can be irritating

Fr Tod Umptious

PTH2009 wrote: »

Rte must get the rights for GAA again. They are losing the Six Nations Rugby from 2018 and Eir Sports have got the 2019 Rugby World Cup. If RTE lost the GAA coverage than its a disaster for them

Never a fan of TV3 doing sport. Sky Sports are OK doing the GAA although the constant Peter Canavan ads and general ass kissing can be irritating

I'd imagine that RTE will still have the largest package, as they currently do.

Whether they bid for and win all championship packages is another question.

danganabu

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

I'd imagine that RTE will still have the largest package, as they currently do.

Whether they bid for and win all championship packages is another question.

The bauld Ryle??

howiya

PTH2009 wrote: »

Rte must get the rights for GAA again. They are losing the Six Nations Rugby from 2018 and Eir Sports have got the 2019 Rugby World Cup. If RTE lost the GAA coverage than its a disaster for them

Never a fan of TV3 doing sport. Sky Sports are OK doing the GAA although the constant Peter Canavan ads and general ass kissing can be irritating

RTE must get them if it's the best deal for the GAA and only for that reason. Personally I think they take the GAA for granted

Kop On

Don't see any way the GAA won't be shown on RTE. Isn't there legislation around what sports must be 'free to air', you can be sure GAA is on that list.

The GAA could only lose out in the long term, if their games weren't shown on RTE. So important for exposure that as many kids as possible are brought up watching GAA. That would happen less if it wasn't on RTE.

ArmaniJeanss

Kop On wrote: »

Don't see any way the GAA won't be shown on RTE. Isn't there legislation around what sports must be 'free to air', you can be sure GAA is on that list.

Only the semi's and final are on the fta list so this isn't a factor.

But its moot as RTE will almost certainly get what they currently have.

howiya

Free to Air doesn't necessarily mean RTE but I still expect RTE to be the major rights holder. There will come a point in the future where RTE will lose the GAA just like they've lost other sports.

Flukey

Unless they are prepared to compete, meaning they put their coverage up beside other channels to see whose is best and not have exclusive rights, Sky should be told to take a hike. Their coverage to date has been absolutely disastrous... because only people who like being extorted have been allowed to see it. Not much point covering something if you are not prepared to let everyone see it. Tomorrow night the Euro 2016 final will be on lots of channels and people will be able to make their choice of which one they want to watch it on. Those channels are competing against each other. Sky are afraid to do that, even though they tell us how brilliant their coverage is. Having the biggest wallet is not competing.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Flukey wrote: »

Unless they are prepared to compete, meaning they put their coverage up beside other channels to see whose is best and not have exclusive rights, Sky should be told to take a hike. Their coverage to date has been absolutely disastrous... because only people who like being extorted have been allowed to see it. Not much point covering something if you are not prepared to let everyone see it. Tomorrow night the Euro 2016 final will be on lots of channels and people will be able to make their choice of which one they want to watch it on. Those channels are competing against each other. Sky are afraid to do that, even though they tell us how brilliant their coverage is. Having the biggest wallet is not competing.

I would say charging €25 for entry into a provincial hurling championship match or €20 for a ticket to a football qualifier match is more extortionate than Sky's subscription price which is actually very reasonable if you are into sport.

Frankly paying for subscriptions sports channels is much much better value than the cost of attending any sporting event.

Sky make money from subscriptions so expecting them to let people see things free to air or on a non exclusive basis is ridiculous.