Councillors urged to support free-to-air GAA motions for 2027
Dominique Farrell
Political Correspondent
Councillors across every local authority in the country are being asked to support motions calling for all GAA championship games to be broadcast free-to-air in 2027.
The move comes amid continued political spotlight on the number of high-profile matches on the subscription platform GAA+, with councillors in Kerry recently passing an emergency motion urging Croke Park to remove paywalls for all inter-county championship fare.
Two All-Ireland football quarter-finals on Saturday are on the GAA+ platform - Cork versus Mayo and Tyrone versus Kerry - but the rest of the games this year will be available free-to-air on RTÉ.
The rights to show live championship games are shared between RTÉ, BBC, and GAA+, with 40 games available on the latter's streaming service. The current deal expires at the end of the 2027 season.
Fine Gael Senator Mike Kennelly has written to the Fine Gael whips on all 31 local authorities asking them to table and pass motions at their next council meeting stating how "this council calls on the GAA to ensure all inter-county senior football and hurling games for 2027 are available for all to see on free-to-air TV and, where required, on other online streaming platforms. Everyone should be able to watch their county team compete at inter-county championship matches."
Kennelly's letter goes on to state how "the current practice of not showing championship games at all, or locking them behind a paywall, is depriving children around Ireland the opportunity of seeing their heroes, and ordinary members of the GAA, who have given a lifetime of service to the organisation the chance to enjoy the games they love".
"The current situation is simply not sustainable, and there is a clear need for leadership and consistency across local authorities in calling for change", he adds.
The push comes with the GAA's current broadcasting arrangements up for renewal at the end of next season and ahead of a change of GAA president in the new year, with Wexford's Derek Kent to succeed Jarlath Burns.
"This autumn and winter, the GAA and all involved in the broadcasting of inter-county championship matches, must work together to agree a fair compromise to allow all access to watch games in 2027," wrote Kennelly as he urged his colleagues to convince those from other parties to back the call.
Croke Park has stressed how revenue generated by the streaming service can be vital for reinvestment into its games.
GAA+ has also expanded its output this year to include preview and review programmes which haven't been offered by terrestrial television stations in several years.
Last week, GAA President Jarlath Burns - told the Oireachtas Sports Committee how not every inter-county GAA match can be shown free to air.
"We show 300 free-to-air games every year, that's 90%. A subscription to GAA+ is €85 for a member, over the 30 match days we have of the championship, we show 180 games", he said.
"Not every game can be broadcast, and certainly not every game can be broadcast free-to-air," he added.
Sinn Fein's Louth TD Joanna Byrne expressed concern that GAA+ was "posing difficulties, particularly for elderly people".
However, Jarlath Burns stressed the GAA had provided 30,000 nursing home passes and 5,000 hospital passes for the service.
Fianna Fáil Kerry TD Michael Cahill has previously called for a free-to-air sports channel to ensure wider access to games, with just one of All-Ireland champions Kerry's matches available free-to-air this summer.
Senator Kennelly's daughter brought forward the recent emergency motion at Kerry County Council while his late brother Tim was the All-Ireland winning captain in 1979.
"I understand that people feel strongly about this, but as an organisation if we are to future proof our broadcast offering and make as many games available as possible, it's simply not feasible for all games to be free to air," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland last month.
RTÉ News.