Has GAA slipped down RTÉ’s order of importance?

LIVE GAA coverage will soon become the poor relation in the RTÉ sports schedule.

The state broadcaster is set to show more live domestic soccer on television than GAA championship matches by 2013, while Montrose’s rugby output is also increasing after inking a four year deal with the Magners League.

Earlier this week, RTÉ secured 31 of 40 senior championship ties on offer up to 2014, with the GAA keen to lessen the number of their games shown live. In the previous deal which ended after this year’s All-Ireland SFC final, RTÉ had 40 fixtures. The announcement, which has caused upset amongst RTÉ staff, comes at a time that RTÉ is locked into an FAI agreement which commits them to show more and more domestic league and cup games live each season.