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GAA not striking right balance on streaming, says tánaiste

News imageGetty Images Two men holding GAAGO microphonesGetty Images
GAAGO is the streaming service run by the GAA and RTÉ
  • Tánaiste Micheál Martin urges a rethink on the paid-for streaming of Gaelic games
  • He says the existing arrangement does not strike the right balance between commercial interest and public interest
  • The GAA and RTÉ run the streaming service GAAGO, which charges a yearly fee for access to live matches
  • A GAA boss says more games are being shown on TV for free than ever before

Putting Gaelic games fixtures behind a streaming paywall is "restricting the audience", the tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) has said.

Micheál Martin said he did not believe the right balance was being struck between commercial interest and public interest with the existing arrangement.

The streaming service GAAGO is jointly owned by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Irish national broadcaster RTÉ and charges customers €79 (£69) a year to watch some matches.

Politicians have been calling for more matches to be broadcast free-to-air.

At an Oireachtas (Irish parliament) committee on Wednesday, Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile questioned why RTÉ did not follow the BBC's model for streaming sporting events online and on linear TV.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Martin said the issue should be "discussed in far greater detail".

"I am not satisfied that the balance is being struck at the moment," he said.

"There is a danger that, if you go down this particular [pay-to-view] route you are restricting the audience inadvertently."

News imagePA Media Micheál MartinPA Media
Micheál Martin is urging a rethink on the paid-for streaming of matches

Mr Martin expressed concerns that putting matches behind a paywall could prevent Gaelic games, particularly hurling, reaching new audiences.

"GAAGO will restrict the audience to those who are following a particular county or club so there are issues to discuss here," he added.

On Wednesday the GAA's director general told politicians that the number of matches being broadcast on TV was "actually higher than ever before".

Tom Ryan said the games shown on GAAGO were those that would have previously been shown on Sky, a subscription service, or not on TV at all.

Sky ended its nine-year rights deal with the GAA in 2022.