Sky ratings dwarfed by RTÉ
The figures, which are based on the match and exclude pre and post-match analysis and interviews, illustrate the continuing disparity, which was seen throughout this year’s championship.
For Sky’s live exclusive coverage of the Kilkenny-Waterford All-Ireland SHC qualifier, the average home viewing figure was 26,000. The number for their exclusive coverage of the Clare-Limerick Munster SHC semi-final was 39,000.
Last Saturday week, 62,000 took in Sky’s exclusive showing of the All-Ireland quarter-final between Tyrone and Armagh, representing 10.3% of market share. Later on Sky Sports Arena, 41,000 watched the exclusive coverage of the Dublin-Monaghan last-eight game, the equivalent of 4.9%.
Those figures paled in comparison to the numbers that tuned in to watch the All-Ireland camogie quarter-finals on RTÉ2 that same day. For the Dublin-Wexford clash, the number was 102,000 (14.6%) and the Galway-Tipperary affair later attracted 92,000 (9.8%).
The following day, 513,000 (52.4% of market share) viewed the Galway-Tipperary All-Ireland semi-final on RTÉ2. On the Monday, the figure for the Mayo-Roscommon quarter-final on RTÉ2 was 370,000 (49.5%).
Since last month, Sky Sports Arena along with Sky Sports Action have been the designated channels for sports such as Gaelic games, tennis, rugby, darts, and WWE wrestling, although there are exceptions made when those sports aren’t on and are therefore prioritised and shown on the Main Event channel.
RTÉ and Sky share the live broadcasting rights to the four All-Ireland senior semi-finals and two finals. GAA president Aogán Farrell last month said the debate on the GAA’s relationship in providing exclusive matches to the GAA ended when a Dublin motion calling on all championship games to be made available free-to-air was soundly defeated at Congress last year.
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