Virgin chief slams RTÉ and GAA’s relationship

Virgin Media Television has claimed that the GAA’s presentation of additional broadcast rights to RTÉ and RTÉ-owned platforms is a monopolisation of the marketplace

EXITING THE SCENE: With Sky Sports gone, RTÉ, TG4 (RTÉ-owned), and GAAGO (RTÉ joint-owned) now hold the bulk of Gaelic games coverage, with BBC getting additional matches (including shared All-Ireland semi-finals and finals). Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

Virgin Media has claimed that the GAA’s presentation of additional broadcast rights to RTÉ and RTÉ-owned platforms — following Sky’s abandonment of its nine year partnership with Croke Park this week — is a monopolisation of the marketplace.

Virgin Media managing director Paul Farrell said that “in the interests of transparency and fairness” independent networks should have been offered the Sky matches for 2023, once it became clear on Monday that the channel was handing back its Gaelic games rights.