It seems likely that eir Sport will be exiting the sports sector in Ireland, with implications for each of the three major sporting bodies.
The stepping back from the sport has been evident over the past year and there was no bid from the company for the broadcast rights to this season’s SSE Airtricity League.
It had previously shared a broadcast of games with RTÉ.
The main impact will be on the Guinness PRO14 Rugby tournament though with new investment into the company from CVC last year and a renewal of broadcast contracts due at the end of this season, it is unlikely that the contract would have been extended.
A limited number of games from the Allianz Leagues in the GAA would also be at risk though with GAA Go stepping up for additional streaming in the world of games behind closed doors that is also an area where the impact will be felt less.
Of greater concern might be the sponsorship of the GAA’s All Ireland Football Championship, alongside AIB and SuperValu.
Eir has been a sponsor of the Championship since 2011 and the latest renewal runs through to the end of the 2022 Championship.
The broadcaster’s enthusiasm for being a sports broadcaster waned significantly following its purchase by new French owners in 2018.
Prior to that it had been a strong player as the ‘home of rugby’ and indeed had been a rights holder for both Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups.
The departure of senior executives Glen Killane and Brian Quinn, as well as Gordon Britchfield, seemed an indication that the high hopes of the previous years had disappeared.
A public row with Virgin media last year, which resulted in the channels being removed from the Virgin platform increased the feeling that a wider exit was likely.
The second half of 2020 saw revenues in the TV and Sports content division fall from €20 million to €12 million, representing less than five per cent of the company’s overall revenue.
The company has said that it is examining the options for its sports broadcast interests and that there will be no change to the subscriptions that are currently in place.
The chances are though that it will step away entirely with Sky Sports, Premier Sports and possibly RTÉ and Virgin Media stepping in for the rights that it has held.
Sport for Business Partners
