Analyst says Sky deal would not herald GAA pro era

One of the country’s leading sports business analysts does not believe that any prospective link-up between the GAA and Sky Sports would usher in professionalism.

An announcement is expected next week whereby Sky would take over championship coverage from TV3. Former Dublin footballer Mick O’Keeffe, managing director of Pembroke Communications, believes concern regarding the possibility of championship games being shown on a pay-per-view basis may prove unfounded, and professionalism is unlikely to become an issue.

“GAA people have a sense of ownership of the association and it can take a while for change to be accepted.

“I think it’s a bit of a leap to think that Sky having coverage would automatically lead to professionalism. I certainly wouldn’t envisage like that in the next 10 years.

“Pay-per-view is an interesting point and it’s something that the GAA will have to handle carefully. A lot of people in Ireland have Sky or another subscription package so they’d be used to paying for sport, but there is also a view that you shouldn’t have to pay for GAA.

“It might be possible Sky might show games free-to-air. In any case, All-Ireland finals are protected under legislation and I don’t think semi-finals will be pay-per-view anytime soon.

“One definite positive is that the games will be shown more in the UK, which would bring the GAA to a wider audience there.

Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer, a former chairman of Bishopstown GAA club in Cork, has written to the GAA pleading that championship games remain on terrestrial channels.

“The GAA is part of the fabric of Irish society,” he wrote.

“For generations, free-to-air broadcasting of inter-county games has been a focus of Sunday afternoons for many families. It is these same people who enjoy watching championship matches that give freely of their own time to help run their local club.

“If the GAA enter a contract with a subscription only television channel, many of these same people will not get to watch and enjoy the fixtures which are to be televised.”

Former Kerry footballer Tommy Walsh, who now plays with Sydney Swans in the AFL, made his feelings clear on the pay-for-play issue on Twitter: “So our ‘amateur’ game is now being sold to Sky? There is no other sport in the world where players & supporters are taken advantage of more!”

Walsh’s views were echoed by former Laois player and Newstalk radio presenter Colm Parkinson. He wrote: “How much longer are footballers and hurlers going to accept playing for free now GAA games are going pay per view? Absolute idiots of [sic] they put up with it."