GAAGO will stream 38 exclusive live championship matches in 2023 as the GAA enters a new era in the broadcasting of its games.
The details of GAAGO’s output for next season was unveiled at Croke Park on Thursday – and includes 22 senior football championship games, seven hurling championship encounters and seven Tailteann Cup fixtures.
Gráinne McElwain will present the coverage for the streaming service and the analysts on-board so far include Michael Murphy, Marc Ó Sé, Paddy Andrews, Seamus Hickey, Tommy Walsh and Eoin Cadogan.
GAAGO, which is a joint partnership between the GAA and RTÉ, will operate on a paid-for-content model with a number of options on the pricing structure.
A season pass for all 38 games is priced at €79, though there is an early bird pass available for €59 until the end of December. There will be a pay-per-game option throughout the year for €12. There will also be three-for-two bundle deals for €24 while GAA members will receive 10 per cent off any full price subscription. GAA clubs will be given a group pass for €150 while complimentary login codes will be distributed to caregiving facilities.
The price points are very reasonable and it is hoped the value for money attraction will lead to a big take-up in the first year of this venture. However, it is a pay model and when Sky entered the equation in 2014 that issue more than anything else dominated their arrival as a broadcast partner with the GAA.
Sky’s surprise exit in October of this year created a vacuum which has now been filled by GAAGO. And McCarthy feels the issue of subscriptions and paywalls are not as divisive as they were in the past.
“You’re right, it’s a pay model but we learned over Covid that people are quite willing to pay and the resistance to paying and having stuff behind a paywall diminished significantly,” said McCarthy.
“Counties are doing it all the time with games and people don’t have any hesitation in paying whatever they’re paying. The value is incredible and what I like about it in particular is that we’re giving GAA members a discount and we’re giving clubs a discount.”
The commercial side of the deal sees the GAA and RTÉ both contribute 50 per cent of the finance to run the streaming service. McCarthy said the GAA will receive approximately the same amount from GAAGO as Sky paid for securing broadcast rights.
“There was a rights bid made by GAAGO and that was somewhat close to the equivalent of what we would have been getting from Sky. So no, we’re not losing anything on it,” said McCarthy.
But the high wire act now is for GAAGO to balance the books – as the GAA and RTÉ will equally absorb the costs, profits or losses.
“Obviously we’ll know an awful lot more at the end of the year,” admitted McCarthy.
“But Noel Quinn and Peter McKenna are quite confident, and the GAAGO team and RTÉ are quite confident, that the price points are good and that we’re going to wash our face at the very minimum.
“Also, I’m assuming, without knowing the details of it, that we’ll have ad revenue so the figures, they will work. But it’s a logistical challenge essentially putting a television network out in the fields around the place.”
Of the 38 games, there will be an outside broadcast for at least 25 with GAAGO promising match analysis, state of the art graphics and multi-camera set-ups for those.
And while the GAA is a stakeholder in the venture, McCarthy says there will be no editorial controls put on content or discussion of controversies.
“No, would be my straight up answer, I would hope not. Technically GAAGO is not within, it’s a joint partner. It’s another company essentially. If they want to criticise us, and it’s justified, then by all means criticise us.”
The GAAGO.ie website supports virtually all internet-enabled devices and matches can be cast to a TV screen using the GAAGO iOS and Android apps.
GAAGO’s 38 Exclusive Matches
Sat, April 8th
CSFC New York v Leitrim (10pm Irish)
Sat, April 22nd
USFC Cavan v Antrim/Armagh, Breffni Park / Corrigan Park (6pm)
LSHC Galway v Wexford (5pm)
MSFC Tipperary/Waterford v Kerry (time tbc)
Sun, April 23rd
MSHC Clare v Tipperary (4pm)
LSFC Dublin v Wexford/Laois (time tbc)
Sat, April 29th
USFC Fermanagh/Derry v Tyrone/Monaghan (5pm)
MSHC Limerick v Clare (7pm)
Sun, April 30th
LSFC semi-finals (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sat, May 6th
MSHC Cork v Tipperary (7pm)
LSHC Dublin v Wexford (5pm)
Sun, May 7th
LSHC Antrim v Kilkenny (time tbc)
Sat, May 13th
MSHC Waterford v Clare (6pm)
Tailteann R1 “Game of the Week” (time tbc)
Sat, May 30th
SFC Rd1 (2 x games) (time tbc)
LSHC Kilkenny v Dublin (6pm)
Tailteann Cup Rd2 “Game of the Week” (time tbc)
Sat, May 27th
SFC Rd1 (2 x games) (times tbc)
Sun, May 28th
MSHC / LSHC round robin (1 x game) (time tbc)
Sat, June 3rd
SFC Round 2 (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sun, June 4th
SFC Rd2 (1 x game) (time tbc)
Tailteann Cup Rd 3 “Game of the Week” (time tbc)
Sat, June 10th
Tailteann preliminary quarter-finals (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sat, June 17th
SFC Rd 3 (Simultaneous T/I times) (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sun, June 18th
SFC Rd 3 (2 x games) (time tbc)
Tailteann Cup quarter-finals (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sat, June 24th
SFC prelim quarter-finals (2 x games) (time tbc)
Sat, July 1st
SFC quarter-finals (2 x games) (time tbc)
