BBC to be big winners from next round of GAA media rights

 Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

The BBC are set to be one of the big winners in the next round of GAA media rights, the Irish Examiner has learned.

The broadcasters are in line to receive live international access to All-Ireland semi-finals and finals from next year on top of their Northern Ireland channel’s continuing coverage of the Ulster senior football championship and in addition possibly latter stage championship fixtures involving Ulster counties.

It is believed the GAA are keen to widen the coverage of their major games to a global audience and hope to use the BBC’s international platform to do so. Last year, the All-Ireland senior football semi-finals and finals were shown live on public TV in Galicia in response to the rise in popularity of the sport in the north-west region of Spain.

Relations between Croke Park and BBC are known to have improved significantly in recent times. Last weekend, they streamed the Down v Galway Division 2 football game, while they are giving the same treatment to Saturday’s Division 1, Group B hurling clash between Antrim and Dublin.

Speaking at Thursday’s publication of the GAA’s annual reports, GAA stadium and commercial director Peter McKenna said the new media rights negotiations were almost completed.