League of Ireland goes box office as Cork City to screen away games at the cinema

Link-up with The Arc will start for selected games this season

The Arc Cinema assistant manager Aoibhín Gallagher with cinema staff members Will Joy and David Coleman as Cork City announced an agreement to screen away matches at the cinema. Picture: Doug Minihane

The League of Ireland is now officially box office as a new link-up between Cork City FC and The Arc Cinema will see selected games shown on the big screen. 

The deal is a first a League of Ireland club. The agreement also means that there will be a 30-second Cork City FC trailer before every movie at The Arc Cinema, on North Main Street in Cork City.

“This is a really exciting year for the club as we look to take on Premier Division teams, and we expect to see large turnouts at Turner’s Cross for all the home games," said Cork City commerical manager Anthony O'Sullivan. "The support from City fans has remained solid throughout the years, and we know that while many of them would like to go to the away games, the distance means it’s not always possible. This new partnership will give them an opportunity to see some of those games on the big screen along with a crowd.”

Fans will be able to matchday experience of away games in the most immersive way possible using The Arc Cinema’s cutting-edge facilities which include a giant curved screen with Dolby surround sound.

The club played its first home game of the season against Galway Utd last Friday in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 fans.

"We are really looking forward to showing some of the big away games on the big screen, where people can enjoy all the action along with fellow supporters, which we believe will create a family-fun atmosphere for those who are not in a position to travel," said The Arc Cinema assistant manger Aoibhín Gallagher.

Cork City majority owner Dermot Usher is targeting annual commercial revenues of more than €1m over the next few years. The club recently viewed a premises in the city centre last Friday with a view to opening a new retail outlet — part of a series of off-the-field ventures to bolster the business.

The club have set up Rebel Army Clothing to take control of our own buying, design, and pricing, reducing the price of our adult shirt from €75 to €60, with a whole range of contemporary training tops, fleeces, and hoodies. Mr Usher said he sees expanding retail as “a business within a business”.

The club is also branching into other revenue streams, including promotions, next month holding events in the RDS in Dublin on March 14 and Cork’s Opera House on March 15 with members of Ireland’s Italia 90 World Cup squad.