No Government intervention to help TG4 secure GAA rights

Government won’t help TG4 buy GAA rights but the department says the channel  is free to use State funding to “progress its strategic priorities"

22 September 2024; A general view of a TG4 microphone at the Roscommon Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final match between St Brigid's and Pádraig Pearses at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The Government has indicated it will not intervene to assist TG4 in purchasing GAA championship media rights for 2025 and ‘26.

Both Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin and Minister of State for the department Thomas Byrne previously called for more senior championship games to be available free-to-air.

Minister Martin is currently considering expanding the number of free-to-air GAA games to include the All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals, two of which had been shown by GAAGO and are part of the now available six-game package, which is of interest to TG4.

Earlier this month, the Irish language public service station, which already televises a host of Gaelic games such as the Allianz Leagues and club championships, bid for the exclusive SFC and SHC rights after the GAA in August made available a couple of rights deals.

While the department said it would not subvent TG4’s tender, it stressed TG4 is entitled to use its share of State funding “to progress its strategic priorities”.

Noting next week’s Budget, a statement issued by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to the  Irish Examiner on Thursday read: “TG4 is statutorily independent in all programming, scheduling and editorial matters, and as such neither the Minister nor the Department has any role in such matters, including the acquisition of content or broadcasting rights.

“Funding allocations for 2025 are being considered, and will be agreed, in the context of the 2025 Budget, and as such it would not be appropriate to comment on likely 2025 allocations at this stage.

“However, given their statutory independence, it is a matter for TG4 to apply the Exchequer allocation provided to meet its broadcasting obligations and to progress its strategic priorities.” 

Ministers Martin and Byrne are among several Government politicians including Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Michéal Martin and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, who have spoken about the number of high-profile GAA matches being shown behind a paywall.

Last year, Martin said “we all want to see as many matches as possible” while Byrne said at a Fianna Fáil meeting the GAA agreed with the Government that “we need more games on terrestrial TV and free-to-air”.

The larger eight-game package, which includes eight provincial and All-Ireland games in both codes that are predominantly played on Saturdays, is expected to be retained by GAAGO.

It had been reported that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission advised the GAA to release the packages for tender but both Croke Park and RTÉ insisted they had not.