GAA turns its back on €20million to Guarantee Free-to-Air

[Unbeatable South Derry]

What other sporting organisation in the world would do this? A sign that Gaelic games are still very much the people's games.

[popper]

In contrast to the FAI who tried to sell all the rights to soccer internationals to Sky.

[bobbysands81]

What's this about mate? Any links?

[returning officer]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2008/0219/gaarte.html

They turned down a lucrative deal from Setanta.

Grab All Association? No long term, looking to the future.

[popper]

GAA turned down an offer of 40 million + Euro from Setanta for the rights to GAA championship games because it would deprive people who do not have digital or cable from seeing the matches.



http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/sport/ ... 41231.html

[meriwether]

I read this morning that we can watch GAA 7 days a week from Summer onwards during the Championship.

Thats Summer taken care of!

[bobbysands81]

Great stuff - thanks for the links lads.

[The SR]

before you get all self congratulatory, for clarity how much are the combined RTE, TV3, Setanta and TG4 deals that they took insted of the exclusive setanta deal?

nice spin, but any chance of the actual facts?

[popper]

It illustrates the difference between a genuine grass roots national sports organisation and a gang of chancers who have so little respect for their own supporters and members that they gave their tickets for the World Cup to a tout! Tried to sell the rights to all soccer internationalis involving the 26 county team to Sky! And who are in hock to a tax exile with Berlusconi amibtions! What a joke.

[NeilW]

It illustrates the difference between a genuine grass roots national sports organisation and a gang of chancers who have so little respect for their own supporters and members that they gave their tickets for the World Cup to a tout! Tried to sell the rights to all soccer internationalis involving the 26 county team to Sky! And who are in hock to a tax exile with Berlusconi amibtions! What a joke.

Dont be so naive - both organisations rightly do what they consider to be in the long-term best interests of their respective sports. For the GAA that's staying free-to-air as much as possible, for the FAI that involves selling some rights to Sky. Yes the former is better for more fans but that doesnt mean that the aims of both organisations are any different at all.