GAA unveil new streaming plan to clamp down on 'ambush marketing' of club games

The GAA’s new streaming policy and licensing agreement has been finalised

ON SCREEN: A view of a streaming camera. Pic: Laszlo Geczo, Inpho

The GAA’s new streaming policy and licensing agreement insist streaming companies at local level uphold the same sponsorship protocols as national broadcasters.

The association’s broadcasting committee has clamped down on the practice of some streaming companies carrying advertisements of companies that are in direct opposition to the association’s national sponsors.

Streaming firms will also no longer be permitted to carry advertisements during live footage of games. Only GAA-approved branding will be permitted during matches, and advertisements will have to be carried during “commercial breaks”. When referenced, the competitions including the title sponsors must be mentioned.

Unless an alternative revenue model is agreed by a county board, the GAA and the streaming company, they must pay the board 50% of local sponsorship, subscriptions and advertising derived in their coverage of a match.

The policy also claims RTÉ and TG4’s rights to show club championship games have been strengthened by the streaming policy and licensing agreement.

The policy document, an update from the original issued in 2022, aims to protect the contractual entitlements of the GAA’s official broadcast partners to televise club fixtures, namely those at the business end of championships.

In recent years, both have experienced issues in televising club games of their choice because of counties’ arrangements with streaming companies.

As club championships come under the existing rights granted by the GAA to RTÉ and TG4, GAA units are not permitted to stream the match unless special dispensation is granted.

All streaming requests must now be made six weeks in advance and GAA units “are not permitted to stream a match at the same time as any national broadcast partner coverage”.

During the pandemic, a rolling approval was given to stream championship games at the same time as live TV match broadcasts but that has elapsed.

Since 2022, county boards receive in the region of €15,000 to show a county final and €10,000 for a semi-final. Previously, a flat €5,000 fee for a club game was provided.

The difficulties faced by TG4 in securing games prompted GAA president Jarlath Burns to state that “we just can’t be selling the same games twice”.

At Special Congress last year, Burns hit out at what he described as “ambush marketing” on streaming platforms. He said some county boards had “done deals with sponsors, which are in direct contravention to our national GAA sponsors, ambush marketing, really.” 

While he also mentioned a number of boards had regretted the agreements they had made. “We want to make sure that the contract is commensurate with something that gives them the advantage, that allows them to keep the footage, that the footage belongs to them, and also then that there isn't any ambush marketing.

“That any company that comes in along with a county is respectful of the fact that the GAA has sponsors and that we have to be very careful about how we go about that business.” 

As before, streaming fees are set at the discretion of the counties but the policy recommends adherence to a minimum charge of €10 (£8) be set for a game and a maximum of €20 (€17), “or if the gate fee is in excess of these maximum charges, no greater than the price charged on entry at the gate”.

Last year, Tyrone charged £19 for access to the stream of the senior county championship football final and £18 for the intermediate decider.

As a rule of thumb, the document suggests the streaming fee should be 80% to 90% of the physical match ticket price “to encourage venue attendance, which is the GAA’s primary objective”.

The policy adds that GAA units should providing complementary match passes to local hospitals, nursing homes and other care-giving locations.