The new Tailteann Cup was formally launched at Croke Park today and Sport for Business can confirm that the tournament is included as part of the overall Senior Football Championship meaning that AIB, SuperValu and eir will have the right to promote and support it.
We further understand that there will be some innovative promotional activations around the tournament, especially for the Semi-Finals and Final, all of which will be played at Croke Park on the 19th June and the 9th July.
In addition to both the final and semi-finals being broadcast live on RTÉ television, GAAGO will stream a preliminary round game, a Round One game and two Quarter-Final games. These games will be available to the domestic and international market and will also feature on the local radio stations of the competing counties.
GAANOW will produce in-game digital clips from televised Tailteann Cup games and a Monday round-up package of the competition’s weekend action will also be distributed on GAA.ie and official GAA social channels.
Tailteann Cup action will feature on RTÉ’s Sunday Game programme and TG4’s Monday highlights show.
As well as selecting a gaa.ie Tailteann Cup Team of The Week, the GAA will also choose a game of the week to preview featuring participating players for media promotional activity.
A targeted national radio and print and local radio and print marketing campaign, similar to that supporting the GAA Football and Hurling Championship, has also been planned to drive awareness among participating Tailteann Cup Counties.
These channels will be complemented by paid digital display and social media match specific promotion throughout the competition. Digital out of home advertising will also run in select high footfall locations nationwide, as will on-air radio ticket promotions.
“This is a historic day for the Association,” said GAA President Larry McCarthy. “It is rare that the GAA announces new competitions at the inter-county level but that’s precisely what we are doing today here at Croke Park in the company of some of the players who will be competing in it.”
“The motivation for the establishment of the Tailteann Cup is to provide counties with meaningful games against teams of a similar standard and I believe that the benefits of this will become apparent in the weeks and years ahead, replicating the success of our tiers in senior hurling and in the club championships.”
“We will promote the Tailteann Cup in tandem with the Sam Maguire Championship and we will work with our players, managers and supporters to make it the success that we believe it can be.”
“This is a Championship with a final contested at Croke Park and I look forward to seeing the competition unfold in the coming weeks.”
The draw for the opening rounds of the competition took place live on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Irland programme earlier today.
Sport for Business Perspective
The idea of graded competitions is well established across the GAA with Senior, Intermediate and Junior A-Z competitions providing meaningful competition for those who want to play. At an inter-county level, it will be a challenge to compare it to this idea, rather than as a poor relation to the Sam Maguire but the success will be based on the enthusiasm of the counties and their fans, not necessarily on the criticism of those without a stake in the game.
Sport for Business Partners
