The GAA is a conservative and traditional organisation but it is far from backward. The new three year deal on broadcast coverage of the GAA Championships is one that will deliver millions of new viewers and recognises fully the changing nature of the way in which fans, audiences and sponsors are viewing sport.
There has been a backlash from some claiming that this will take the games away from the core audience that has contributed to the building of the Association. In response it must be put that there are always options.
For people that want to stay in the comfort of their own home there is the radio, and agreed national and local coverage of all games, including the 31 of the 45 matches that will be televised by RTE Sport.
For those whom it is argued will have their community lifeline taken away, organise a collection service and bring people together in their local GAA club to watch the game together. Don’t just be negative, take it as a positive step towards social cohesion by rebuilding a connected community of individuals.
For those who say that it will deprive the kids of access to the games, take them to the matches. Tickets at group rates can be as little as €3. Bring teams and let them experience the live action in a way that will really spark their dreams of a life lived against a backdrop of sport.
A different experience
The reality is that TV viewing is now a different experience than it was five years ago, never mind twenty. If a family was to sit down in a living room to watch a match the chances are that most will be watching, tweeting, sharing or texting their own views through mobile devices.
The GAA was around before the advent of radio. People said then that fans would stop going to games. It was around before the advent of TV. It was said then that the magic of radio’s ability to paint a more glowing picture would be a loss. It was around before the advent of Pay TV and will be around through the next dozen iterations of how we consume sport and entertainment.
The new deal delivers in a number of key areas. Sky Sports’ promotional muscle alone will breathe life into the GAA’s expansion on the British stage. The broadcaster has made a massive commitment to Ireland through employing 1,000 people and developing Dublin as one of it’s four key hubs for initiatives such as the Sky Sports Living for Change programme. It deserves to be given an opportunity to expand the reach of the sport.
Australia a massive deal
The Australian deal is a massive one for that market, arguably the closest we have to a natural overseas hub for the development of football and hurling. Channel 7 is the top rated channel and shows the Olympics, the Melbourne Cup and most of Australia’s and the world’s major sporting events.
The deal with RTE Digital to develop new streaming channels for Europe, the US, Africa and Asia will open up many more avenues for both organisations and will keep the GAA to the fore in terms of how sports coverage is advancing on a technical level.
There is a resistance to change in all areas of life, and even when it is well intentioned, it does not mean that it is right or indeed logical.
‘Damage’ or improvement?
Much has been made of how Pay TV has ‘damaged’ Premier League soccer in England. Yet it is overlooked that when Pay TV was mooted first, the sport was a battleground for hooligans and stadia were out dated and in many cases on the way to becoming derelict. The money from Pay TV changed soccer but it never made it less a part of the national consciousness or the national conversation.
The money from this deal for the GAA will not make a material difference in terms of contractual payments but by spreading to international markets it does bring fresh money into the Irish economy. That can only be seen as a positive.
Broader commercial appeal
It also broadens the appeal of the sport to commercial partners that look beyond our domestic market of 4 million consumers and see a genuine chance to engage with many times that number in Britain, Australia and the world. The new deal has certainly made the next renewal of a sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways closer to a done deal.
The GAA does not take a profit. Less than 20 per cent of income goes towards running the organisation and over 80 per cent is ploughed back to every level of the sport. That’s to approaching 3,000 clubs across Ireland and around the world, all of whom are charged with getting people involved and playing sport. The only dividend is in a better and healthier society.
Part of the deal with Sky is a commitment to creating subscription deals for clubs. This can be used as a means of reviving the club as a centre of the community away from the big days. If a match is of interest and going to the game is not possible, put on a big screen and run the big match as a fundraiser for one of the juvenile teams. Bring fans out of homes and into a community setting.
This decision is a right one at the right time for the GAA. It is to be applauded as a brave decision which will upset some but which will leave the Association, its counties, teams and players stronger in three, six and twenty years time than would have been the case if the changing world of sports broadcasting had not been recognised.
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Click here for the 10 Key things you need to know about the new broadcast deal.
