IN 2010, RTÉ triumphantly heralded a new era of showcasing Gaelic Games to a worldwide audience.
It is six years now since the national broadcaster began a ‘series of web-only GAA Championship matches’.
To recap, RTE.ie streamed coverage of GAA matches that were not available to see on television.
On one weekend alone, Meath v Laois in the Leinster Football quarter-final replay, Roscommon v Leitrim in the Connacht Football semi-final, and Galway v Offaly in the Leinster Hurling semi-final were available to view live online.
On the same weekend, Tyrone took on Down in an Ulster SFC semi-final.
That Tyrone-Down fixture was shown on RTÉ television but was also available to view online.
GAA supporters have been spoiled in recent years with coverage getting to the point of near-saturation at times.
Heck, even the Dr McKenna Cup gets screen-time now.
Most weeks in the Allianz Football League, Setanta Sports screens two games on a Saturday night and TG4 will have a live game on the Sunday as well as deferred coverage of another.
In late January 2014, Jim McGuinness described the League as ‘irrelevant’.
His comment was perhaps taken somewhat out of the context in which it had been intended, but we all know that the Championship is where it’s at.
It is the be-all, the end-all, the everything for teams now.
It is no surprise, therefore, that the coverage across all mediums and platforms ramps up significantly once the Championship balls are throw-in. Well, usually, that is, post the annual whoevers-turn-it-is-this-year versus New York game in the Connacht SFC.
The Championship this year took some time to come to life. Indeed, the argument could be made that it’s still waiting to spring from a slumber.
Turkey shoots have been the order of the day for many of the games shown live so far. Dublin had 11 points to spare on Laois and were 10 better than Meath last Sunday, even with Jim Gavin’s side appearing as if they were on a Sunday evening stroll in Croke Park rather than in the cooker for a Leinster semi-final.
There have been surprises, with Galway toppling Mayo’s reign in Connacht and Tipperary inflicting the latest hammer blow to Cork’s temple in Munster.
By and large, though, it hasn’t been great, has it?
Even Ulster – the one great battleground we thought that remained – felt lifeless.
[adrotate group=”37″]Tyrone hammered Derry, Cavan scorched past Armagh, Monaghan stormed Down in the second half and Donegal upped the ante to win by seven against Fermanagh in the quarter-finals.
None of them made for great viewing.
Last Saturday was an exception to that.
Donegal and Monaghan will have made for compelling viewing for anyone tuning in on Sky Sports. It was tense, gripping theatre full of the thrills and spills that a watching public had been waiting for since May.
The great thing about it is these two foes – who are forming the best rivalry in Gaelic football right now – will do it all again tomorrow night in Cavan.
[adrotate group=”46″]The great shame of it all is that only those present at Breffni Park can witness it in all its gloriously ferocious beauty. The replay between these two heavyweights – their ninth meeting in League or Championship since 2013 – will not be shown anywhere.
Last week was raw, passionate and intense. That shoulder Drew Wylie shipped from Michael Murphy was the story of these two in one, powerful nutshell.
The replay is likely to be every bit as captivating, but it will not have an audience outside of the confines of Kingspan Breffni Park, save for radio stations and those of us who will endeavour to provide rolling updates.
It’s two years ago now since Sky Sports signed a deal with the GAA to enable them to cover 14 Championship matches during the summer months.
Many are blaming Sky for tomorrow night’s blackout in Cavan, but it is hardly their fault alone. Sky have had their schedule planned out for months and couldn’t be expected to change at a week’s notice.
[adrotate group=”68″]It would be impractical and unfair on those counties being showcased tomorrow night.
But there is something wrong somewhere when people cannot have the option a game of this magnitude and importance, without actually going to the game.
Never before has the GAA been so widely available across the globe. The advent of GAAGO – described as ‘ a pay service from the GAA and RTÉ that allows Gaelic Games’ enthusiasts abroad (outside the Republic of Ireland) to watch games via the internet’ – has opened it up to a whole new audience.
This service shows the games and highlights packages televised by RTÉ, TG4, Setanta and Sky Sports. It is a Godsend for those on foreign shores.
[adrotate group=”70″]It was something Liam O’Neill, the then GAA President had touched on at the launch of the Sky deal in 2014, in his attempts to justify the fact that GAA fans would have to pay to watch their games.
“Making our games more widely available to Irish people abroad was a critical factor in our approach to these negotiations. We felt an obligation to them not to neglect their legitimate appeals to be able to watch live TV coverage of our games.
“The GAA has to fight its corner, and must ensure that it maintains a strong presence across a range of media outlets so that we can continue to fund our clubs in the important sporting, cultural and social roles they perform in their communities. “
What, though, of those people simply unable to attend tomorrow’s game?
It was the perfect chance for the GAA and RTÉ to combine forces again and make the game available as a web-only cast.
[adrotate group=”74″]The excuse that the clash with the live game on Sky doesn’t wash either given that the 7 o’clock throw-in times seems even more of a nuisance now seeing as the fixture isn’t being televised.
The throw-in time dissuades many people, particularly families, from making a two-hour-plus journey to Cavan from Donegal.
Last week, it was beyond midnight when many were back at home.
This time, given that there will be no issue around televised coverage, there seems no reason that it couldn’t have had a 5pm throw-in time.
The Sunday afternoon option will have been shunned as Tyrone face Cavan in the other semi-final replay and the Ulster Council’s apparent volunteer shortage would have made that nigh on impossible.
Donegal Sport Hub was able to successful stream live, uninterrupted coverage of the recent 2016 Joule Donegal International Rally, garnering well in excess of 100,000 viewers for the trouble. It was a complex process, but not too difficult in the grand scheme of things.
[adrotate group=”38″]Surely, with their vast resources, trucks and personnel it could be possible for RTÉ, the GAA, or a combination of both, to make it happen this weekend for the replay.
It is not sitting well, considering the volume of ‘Is this game on anywhere’ messages we’ve been receiving that the fixture – which has the potential to be one of the key battles of the summer – cannot, at the very least, be streamed online.
It was possible six years ago for games that wouldn’t have come near to raising the mercury to the same heights.
Why not now?
Whatever of the fans unable to attend because of work or other commitments, or even the casual observer who just wants to dine out on a main course of a fine Ulster contest, or indeed the respective county folk who just want to ‘see the Donegal game’, above all the GAA is doing itself a great disservice here.
More’s the pity.
Tags: