The broadcast rights deal for Gaelic Games is likely to be a major talking point over the coming weeks and it features in headlines again today with President Liam O’Neill not ruling out a pay per view deal for some games in the Championship.
Sky Sports are reported to be in discussion with the Association, alongside RTE, TV3, BBC Northern Ireland and Setanta Sport. Sky is employing almost 1,000 people in Dublin now after a major expansion and Ireland is seen as one of its key markets for initiatives such as the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme going out to schools.
There is a view that the public would not accept pay per view but that already exists with Setanta Sports’ coverage of the Allianz Leagues, and there is an argument to suggest that some expansion of this, as is the case in almost every sport in 2013, would encourage greater attendance and raise the value of the games in an overall context.
This next broadcast deal will inevitably be more complex than previous ones as international and digital rights come to the fore.
Overseas fans this past summer could listen to crystal clear radio commentary on the Championship’s closing stages but viewing rights were limited to specific venues that had bought those rights.
Public pressure from a growing international base of fans including hundreds of thousands who have emigrated since the last deal was signed may yet make an element of pay per view for the Championship more appealing though the major games and finals will remain on terrestrial TV as part of their recognition as events of national importance.
Sky previously would have seen this as a stumbling block but recent deals including in Formula One have seen them more willing to share content in different formats with other broadcasters, so long as some of the key elements can be seen as exclusive. It may be that international rights will satisfy this.
Next summer the 2014 Fifa World Cup will be the main event and Sky will be on the sidelines. It might be seen as attractive to be able to promote international coverage of exciting sports like hurling and gaelic football to it’s massive international audience, and would certainly be to the benefit of the GAA as it spreads an international message.
The negotiations are covering a wide range of topics and will not be solved in an instant. The presence of new players and new packages though makes it a fascinating game to follow.
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