SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 2014, GAAGO has been a sort of halfway house. The channel for the diaspora, a blessing during the pandemic, one last resort outlet for 2022′s second-fiddle fixtures. 

In a world of few certainties, one guaranteed with the announcement of the GAA’s new media rights deal is that GAAGO will no longer drift in this space. In Sky’s absence, its new trajectory is, unsurprisingly, to the stars.

“The quantity of GAAGO’s exclusive championship games, primarily in Saturday evening slots, will be confirmed in due course,” explained an editor’s note in the press release.

“More details around scheduling, production and presentation will follow in due course.”

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

A revamp is coming. And it looks like it is sorely needed. 

RTE will continue to show 31 GAA championship games as well as the Joe McDonagh Cup final and both Tailteann Cup semi-finals and final. What of the other 60-odd championship games in both codes?

The BBC retained its Ulster rights but the 14-game hole left by Sky Sports, on top of the increase in football games, leaves an enormous gap GAA fans will want to be filled. 

“We don’t always have to be reliant on our broadcast partners to promote our games, in fact we shouldn’t be,” said GAA Director of Communications Alan Milton in an interview with Colm Parkinson of the Smaller Fish podcast after the announcement.

“We should do it ourselves. We should package it ourselves. I think we have to get more innovative and more immediate in how we present our story.

“The channels now exist for us to do that and we are going to fully embrace them.”

Essentially, the GAA is gambling and backing itself. Their own streaming service will showcase the product. They will build on recent expansions. Digital plans that were already in place prior to the pandemic will be pursued. 

Last year, amidst a building outcry at the lack of live-streaming for the All-Ireland senior hurling preliminary quarter-finals, GAAGO announced four days before the date that they would show Kerry vs Wexford and Cork vs Antrim. The fixtures occurred simultaneously and they were €10 to stream.

The service also broadcasted games like the Munster hurling championship clash between Cork and Clare. Galway v Kilkenny was shown at the same time on RTÉ.

As streaming went, it was low-fare, no-fuss stuff generally acceptable as a stopgap. Makeshift solutions at a time when many feared there would be none. That is no longer the bar. Sky Sports provided an alternative, the GAA’s in-house setup will now have to rival it.

Arranging such production value in a short window is no mean feat. Sky innovated with crane shots and terrace cameras. They had a dedicated live statistics crew and backroom team. Will the average punter be as quick to fork out for a lesser iteration? Viewers are now conditioned to a higher standard thanks to years of television coverage.   

Here is another certainty. Pay-per-view is here to stay. In the aftermath of April’s thrilling Limerick and Waterford game, several vocal critics hit out at the fact that it was not free to air. What of the volunteers, older members and younger players who missed out? Why should anyone be forced to go to the pub? 

All of those issues will remain, except now it is possible the pub won’t be showing it. GAAGO lives on devices and Smart TVs, after all.

It seems recent technological advancements mean consumers are becoming more comfortable with paywalls, and it is more palatable for their hard-earned money to go directly to county boards or the association. 

What will it look like in 2023? How far down this track do they intend to travel? For all the inspiration that can be taken from sports that operate their own successful channels like NFL and NBA, the GAA’s amateur ideal cannot be overlooked in those comparisons. 

Stretching out the overall offering with something like Friday night games is not on the horizon and so, broadcasts are destined to run against each other on big weekends. Also, RTÉ is a joint partner in GAAGO. How will coverage be impacted by the lack of a new major player? 

Much is to be welcomed, particularly news of a second highlights package. The rest will be closely monitored. A full assessment can only take place when pricing details and a list of what specific games will be broadcast emerge, which crucially will highlight the games that won’t be. 

Having dipped in with highlights clips and the steadily expanding streaming service, the GAA is ready to dive into this sphere headfirst. Make ready for a whole new game.