The GAA’s development as a content broadcaster as well as a sporting body steps up a gear tonight with the first live show, streamed on Facebook, of GAANOWLive.
The show will be filmed live at Facebook’s European Headquarters near Grand Canal Square in Dublin and sent out live around the world through the GAA’s Official Facebook page.
“We are constantly trying to build on the initial success of GAANOW, said GAA Digital Communications Manager Lisa Hayden speaking last night to Sport for Business.
“Broadening our non-match content into areas such as social programming has been on the cards since the earliest days of GAANOW planning and tonight is a landmark occasion.”
Trends
“We have been closely monitoring trends in this area to see how we could build our own unique offering. We’ve looked at our digital audience, we’ve analysed the types of content they want, and we’ve built a programme that we believe fulfils this as well as the aims of GAANOW.”
“The show we are producing on Wednesday is very different to traditional GAA programming. It’s a hurling final preview with a definite twist, as you’ll see from our host and panel.”
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The programme will be hosted by Louise Duffy, a Mayo Native married to former Kerry Footballer Paul Galvin who will use her own media experience on Today FM to bring the show to life.
She will be joined by Wexford hurler Lee Chin, Ireland and Leinster rugby player, and former Limerick Minor hurler Sean Cronin and comedian and broadcaster Colm O’ Regan who will give a little bit of a Cork perspective, as well as that of a hurling fan to the show.
Programme
The programme will go out at 7 pm and run for 40 minutes. It will cover all things hurling, with a particular focus on Sunday’s historic All Ireland final between Galway and Waterford.
There will be the use of clips from this year’s Championship, retained by the GAA as part of the new media rights deal in place since May 2017, as well as chat, interactive viewer Q&A and an exclusive competition to win 2 tickets to Sunday’s final.
“We are constantly trying to find ways of communicating with our members and supporters and bringing them content that they want,” said GAA President Aogán O Fearghail.
“GAANOW has been a big success for us and has helped us showcase our games through the retention of our clip rights since the start of the championship.”
“Wednesday’s GAANOWLive show represents the next step on that journey and I look forward to seeing the show and getting feedback from GAA followers everywhere as we continue to embrace the opportunities technology presents us with.”
Connect
“More and more international sports bodies are retaining their own programming rights and using them as a means to connect directly to their fans,” said GAA Media Rights Manager Noel Quinn, again speaking exclusively to Sport for Business.
“The GAA’s retention and distribution of in-game clips and archive material on the GAANOW platform has broken new ground in recent months and this evening’s live social broadcast is the next step in developing our own content.”
“The live show will provide an alternative mix of personalities, an expansion of our midweek content offering and a look ahead to Sunday’s Hurling Championship showpiece.”
It is expected there will be another similar show ahead of the All Ireland Football Championship in two weeks time and that these will lead to a regular programme offering from 2018. Future developments could include a live studio audience as well as a social one.
Exciting times indeed for the expansion of the GAA to new audiences and new territories around the world.
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