GAA president Larry McCarthy says the fact that three of Cork's four Munster Hurling Championship round robin games in 2024 are being shown on GAAGO is mainly due to RTÉ choosing to broadcast other matches.
Cork's clashes with Waterford on Sunday, April 21st, Clare on Sunday, April 28th and Limerick on Saturday, May 11th are all being covered by GAAGO, a subscription service co-owned by RTÉ and the GAA. The Rebels face Tipperary in their final round robin game on May 19th. The meeting of Waterford and Tipperary on May 4th is the other Munster SHC game being shown on GAAGO.
"RTÉ contractually picked two [other] games for those particular two Sundays and if we don't show them on GAAGO, they're not shown," McCarthy, a Corkman, said at the launch of GAAGO's match schedule for 2024.
"That's the response to that. People might be upset with the number of games in general but they have to realise the facts. RTÉ picked two other games for those two particular Sundays and as a consequence of that we are showing those games [on GAAGO]."
4 December 2023; In attendance at the 2024 GAAGO match schedule launch at Croke Park in Dublin are Hurling analysts, from left, Séamus Hickey, Richie Hogan, John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer and Eoin Cadogan. Fans can avail of 38 exclusive matches in Ireland for €69 up until December 31st". Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
GAA director of communications Alan Milton added on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland that, "Either these games go on to GAAGO or they're not available whatsoever".
"In fairness to RTÉ, on the weekends in question when the Cork games are on GAAGO, they're showing Clare v Limerick," he continued.
"For game number two they're showing Limerick versus Tipperary, followed by Galway v Kilkenny. And for the third weekend they're showing two provincial finals on the Sunday."
2024 will be the second season for which GAAGO has broadcast championship matches in Ireland. The platform was previously used to show games overseas but Sky Sports exiting the market in late 2022 meant that GAAGO stepped in to fill the coverage gap.
Anger that many high profile Munster championship games, like Clare's victory over Limerick, were behind a paywall followed from the public.
'We're taking those games that Cork fans would not see unless we show them'
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"We have worked hard to strike the balance between those games which will be shown by our broadcast partners RTÉ and BBC and those which will be shown on GAAGO," said McCarthy.
"It's worth re-stating, if these games were not broadcast by GAAGO, they would not be available to view anywhere.
"It's like any new system, it has to be given time to bed in and this will bed in eventually. People will get used to it, that some games are going to be on RTÉ and some games are going to be on GAAGO.
"The CCCC [Central Competitions Control Committee] set the fixtures, the provincial councils set the fixtures as well. Then, as a consequence of those fixtures being made, RTÉ make their picks. And then essentially what we're doing [with GAAGO] is that we're taking on those other games, we're taking those games that Cork fans would not see unless we show them."
Donal Óg Cusack, a critic of games being on GAAGO, posted to social media on Monday saying that having three Cork games behind a paywall "is a commercial decision to coin off of hurling. Continuing a trend of neglecting the game and part of our culture".
"The opposite is the duty of both the GAA and RTE," the former Cork hurler added.
"RTE is a public service, not a private company. The GAA should be the guardians of Hurling, not the exploiters. Surely government leadership needed here? What is the purpose of both institutions in this case? Is there a conflict of interest at play?"
28 May 2023; Declan Dalton of Cork in action against Cathal O'Neill of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
It was announced on Monday that former Kilkenny hurler Richie Hogan will join GAAGO's coverage next year. A midweek show, which will be available on the platform's social media channels, will also be broadcast.
"Hopefully, it will go up another level," McCarthy said about GAAGO.
"What I liked about the GAAGO coverage is that there was a bit of creativity in it. Some of those post-match shows have become quite stale. I would hope to see more creativity in the midweek show that we are creating.
"Some of the scenes where they were doing the analysis pre-game were excellent. I'm sure these guys will drive on in terms of that creativity."
https://t.co/XJ77qtfTS0 pic.twitter.com/IYW5GA5Fzn
— Dónal Óg Cusack (@DonalOgC) December 4, 2023
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