TV3 nab GAA Championship

Jimbo

TV3 have secured the rights to broadcast the next GAA chapionships. After the mediocrity that was their Rugby Wold Cup coverage, do you really think they can pull it off?

Green Giant

Let me guess: their punditry will come from Brian Corcoran and Davy Fitz

Jip

Seruously ? What a load of shoite that would be, in fact it would even beat the great travesty of yesteryear when they modernised the Sunday Game theme tune.

daveirl

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hot fuss

They're not showing the whole championships though - just a 'bundle' of games, whatever that means! So RTE will still be showing some of it.

citytillidie

Noooo

I cant view TV3 up here

JeanClaude

hot fuss wrote: »

They're not showing the whole championships though - just a 'bundle' of games, whatever that means! So RTE will still be showing some of it.

Two "provincial finals" in that bundle, with 4 football and 3 hurling which 2 of the 7 do you think they'll show? Definately can't see them getting Munster hurling or Leinster football, Ulster and Munster football (considering the draw was "seeded" to keep Cork and Kerry apart till final) and Leinster hurling i also would be surprised to see them get, so that leaves Connaught football and Ulster hurling.

daveirl

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DMC

What is interesting is that TV3 could get more. This is only one package, and its the only one sold. RTÉ have nothing yet.....

Game on as TV3 shares spoils
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/game-on-as-tv3-shares-spoils-1233149.html
By Shane Hickey
Friday November 30 2007

RTE has lost the exclusive rights to screen the most prominent sporting championship in the country for the first time in the station's history.

Rivals TV3 were celebrating last night after it was confirmed the smaller commercial station had secured the rights to screen 30 GAA championship matches between 2008 and 2010.

While Setanta Sports and TG4 have shown league and club games before, this will be the first time that the championship games will not be screened on RTE.

GAA officials are currently carving up the rights of who will broadcast championship and league matches for the three seasons.

Earlier this week, GAA president Nickey Brennan said no new TV deal for the GAA's championship package would be announced this side of Christmas.

TV3 has secured one of five exclusive live TV packages for the championship which gives it the right to screen 10 games in each season.

Although the exact matches which TV3 has under its belt have not been decided, they will include two provincial finals, either hurling or football.

The rest of the matches will be comprised of provincial semi-finals and qualifiers for the football championship.

The news will come as another bodyblow to RTE Sport which recently lost out on the right to screen the rugby world cup to both Setanta Sport and TV3.

RTE lost out in the bidding for the world cup to Setanta who had 'free to air' channel TV3 as partners.

Last night a statement from RTE said the national broadcaster was "disappointed" with the decision of the GAA.

In all, 25 packages of broadcasting rights were put forward by the GAA for the league and championship, including TV, radio, internet and foreign coverage.

The remaining four live championship TV packages are still up for grabs with the decision not yet made on who will screen 120 games over three years, including the All Ireland final each year.

Yesterday, commercial director of TV3 Pat Kiely said the GAA had been a target for the station and they intended on bidding for further games.

"The significance from our point of view is that we are guaranteed live coverage of the GAA on the channel for the next three years," said Mr Kiely.

"It is the first time we have ever got it, it is the first time live championship action will be shown outside of RTE."

He refused to comment on how much TV3 had bid for the package of games.

What games the station will broadcast will be pinned down after all of the lucrative packages have been decided in the coming weeks.

In this round of bids, RTE has secured three sets of radio broadcast rights and one for 'video-on-demand'.

"RTE has secured four of the eight packages allocated by the GAA so far," said a statement from the national broadcaster.

"We are disappointed with the GAA's decision on the allocation of the 'Live TV Rights package III'.

"However, only 30 out of the 150 games have been allocated yet. None of the games from the top two packages have been decided upon.

"Until negotiations are completed on all packages, we will not be making any further comment."

TV3 executives were told of the decision on Wednesday night.

Utopia Parkway

Oh lord.

Mossy Monk

Sweet Jesus. Hopefully they have the rights to Waterford hurling so I wont have to watch the television coverage.

Dodge

daveirl wrote: »

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Agree with that.

DMC wrote: »

What is interesting is that TV3 could get more. This is only one package, and its the only one sold. RTÉ have nothing yet.....

The likelihood is that its just a bargaining move by the GAA. RTE will obviously have more resources available than tv3 and the GAA is trying to get as much as possoble for them

I'll be astonished if the majority of gaelic games aren't live on RTE next year

pd101

I hope Rte get the rest of the games. I thought that TV3 were only meant to be getting the rights to Saturday games.

Jimbo

It'll definately be interesting who they get for thre commentating, don't think Matt Cooper & Co. would be the most suitable