GAAGO Chief Noel Quinn believes they have 'the balance right' with broadcasting fixtures

"We feel we have the balance right here. But look, it's early days yet," says Quinn.

UNDER FIRE: New GAAGO chief Noel Quinn believes they have struck the correct 'balance' with their output and has called on critics to judge them over a longer period of time.

New GAAGO chief Noel Quinn believes they have struck the correct 'balance' with their output and has called on critics to judge them over a longer period of time.

Speaking at this afternoon's launch of the 2023 Tailteann Cup competition, Quinn responded to criticism made by Donal Og Cusack on last night's Sunday Game programme.

Cusack hit out at RTÉ for their failure to screen more hurling Championship games and questioned whether RTÉ and the GAA, who jointly own the GAAGO platform, are 'exploiting hurling' by placing Munster championship games like the recent Clare-Limerick and Cork-Tipperary ties behind the subscription based channel's paywall.

"Look, everyone is entitled to their opinion and we'd be foolish not to listen to it," responded Quinn, confirmed as the new head of GAAGO which has stepped into the broadcasting void left by Sky Sports' exit.

"We're not trying to hoodwink anyone here but there probably is...and this is why this is helpful and it's why Alan (Milton, GAA communications department) probably has said Noel is happy to chat here today.

"Some of the information probably around Munster hurling championship matches has been lost in translation. There has been a little bit of a vacuum there, and it's helpful for me probably to put a few things straight.

"The Limerick-Clare one was a massive one, I was at that, it was amazing. The game itself, that was originally a Sunday slot, you guys might know this already, it was offered to RTÉ and taken by RTÉ.

"The Great Limerick Run came in that weekend and the match was moved to the Saturday. So rather than it not being broadcast, naturally GAAGO picked it up and we were more than happy to pick it up as well.

"And even last weekend, the Cork-Tipp one, with the Munster (football) final on the Sunday, they weren't going to play Cork-Tipp on a Sunday. Look, admittedly there will be some big games that go on GAAGO and not on free to air. And that's just a fact of life, that's just how subscription services go sometimes.

"Look, we're fully aware of some people saying that Munster hurling is behind a paywall. But we've literally tripled the number of games made available to those who are prepared to pay the one euros fifty five per game, if they bought it at the season pass rate.

"And there's been a lot of positive reaction to it. In terms of promotion of hurling, RTÉ will broadcast 15 hurling Championship matches over the course of the Championship. They have a couple of big Munster double headers coming up.

"And at this stage there's probably close to 200 games free to air anyway across the year. So we feel we have the balance right here. But look, it's early days yet. Hopefully people will judge this on the multi-year deal that is in place, rather than the first couple of weekends."