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Ryle Nugent is confident that RTE have the experience to deal with Sky. Cathal Noonan/INPHO

No sign of the Sky falling for RTÉ despite new competitor in GAA coverage

Head of Sport, Ryle Nugent, is confident experience will be key for the national broadcaster.

IT MAY BE home to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football champions but, on this occasion, the St. Vincent’s clubhouse feels more like backstage at The Sunday Game.

There’s Pat Spillane tucking into a ham sandwich while Ciarán Whelan and Eamonn O’Hara chat over a coffee.

In the background Des Cahill is sharing a story with Colm O’Rourke while Darragh Maloney offers to take my photo with the Sam Maguire, joking it’s the closest a Kildare man is likely to get to it this summer.

It’s all quite surreal but there’s a reason the great and good of RTÉ have gathered in Marino and it’s to launch the national broadcaster’s GAA championship coverage.

When news broke earlier this year that British broadcaster Sky would be showing exclusive games this summer as part of a new TV rights deal there were some misgivings, though many felt the tone of questioning from RTÉ – on Prime Time in particular – was overly aggressive towards the GAA.

However, as far as Head of Sport Ryle Nugent is concerned at least, competing with other broadcasters is nothing new for RTÉ, it’s just the sports in question now take place in GAA grounds.

“This isn’t new for RTÉ Sport,” he told TheScore.ie.

“Our soccer coverage and rugby coverage has – for as long as I’m in RTÉ, so for the last 15 years – had competition against BBC and ITV at major events, against Sky at international and Champions League level.

“Elsewhere, our rugby coverage has competed against Sky and TG4 at European and regional level.

“So, this sense that we’re competing against Sky for the first time is not something that we’ve given any thought to.

“We’ve enough to concentrate on in producing the very best programming we can for the audience so that’s what we look forward to doing.”

Ciaran Whelan, Colm OÕRourke, Kevin McStay, Des Cahill, Michael Lester, Pat Spillane, Martin McHugh, Eamonn O'Hara and Martin Carney Some of the RTÉ panellists pose with the Sam Maguire. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

He does admit, however, that there was some fear that Sky may swoop in to poach some of RTÉ’s more high profile stars.

“There’s always competition in the market place for good presenters, good commentators, good analysts but, again, that’s nothing new for us.

“What I’m delighted about is that I think we have a group who are very engaged with the audience, whom the audience are very engaged with.

“All our programming probably has three core aspects; educate, engage and entertain and that’s my view on what all our output should do.

“If you look at the panellists on our football and hurling coverage, I’m very happy we have that balance right.

Despite it being a World Cup year, not to mention the fact the broadcaster will also be covering national and international events as diverse as the Galway Races and European Athletics Championships, Nugent insists the GAA championships remain the jewel in the broadcaster’s crown.

“There’s an absolutely huge summer coming up for RTÉ.

“A lot of people start talking about World Cups but the GAA championships are, for us, the biggest and singularly most important things we do and we’re really looking forward to it having – after an incredibly competitive process – retained our level of rights with 31 live games.

“And, actually, our rights have improved because we’ve all the provincial finals back and have held on to our suite of radio packages.

“We were absolutely delighted with the result of that and we’re really looking forward to the summer.”

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5 Comments
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    Mute Tom O'Connor
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 6:15 PM

    Wow the FA actually showing a bit of backbone and rescinding a red card! If there’s any justice Costa will get a ban and Mike Dean get a warning for a shocking performance, playing up to the big game as usual

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    Mute Steve Kinsey
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:52 PM

    Costa did get a ban.

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    Mute Tom O'Connor
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 11:40 PM

    My comment was before the ban was announced. Delighted for the tramp

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 5:41 PM

    Give Costa the 3 match ban instead! Filthy animal

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    Mute Scorpionvenomm
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 7:44 PM

    Costa got a 3 match ban

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:10 PM

    Just saw that now. Justice!!

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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 6:46 PM

    costa nearly as bad as philly mc mahon

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    Mute Cathal Shannon
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 7:54 PM

    Nearly….. But , nice boys get nice girls nice boys don’t win all Ireland’s

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    Mute lenny
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 5:47 PM

    any chance you could show a clip of the incident? never saw it

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 5:47 PM

    Youtube.

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    Mute lenny
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 9:55 PM

    I never commented that

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    Mute lenny
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 9:56 PM

    I got fraped lads

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    Mute colin
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 10:38 PM
    15
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    Mute Joey English
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 7:05 PM

    Should they not remove the charge for failing to leave the pitch seeing as they justified that hos argument at the time was correct?

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    Mute Unknown
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:12 PM

    Feck all this lads! Eva Carneiro just left Chelsea and is looking for a new job

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    Mute Senan Hogan O Brien
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:36 PM

    I’d give her a job.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 11:47 PM

    Or would it be roles reversed if ya get my meaning….

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 6:27 PM

    in fairness though he did commit two yellow card offenses. Costa was a disgrace but Gabriel chose to get involved in the first place

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    Mute Ian Durham
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 7:22 PM

    It’s all a bit late Chelsea get the win and Wenger blames everyone else for Arsenal choking in another big game.

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 9:19 PM

    Mourinho’s next press conference should be interesting.

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    Mute Danno
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 7:03 PM

    Why did they charge him them ?

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    Mute Michael Leahy
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:44 PM

    premier league now full of pussies. thought central defenders were meant to e big hard men, not going crying to the media or the fa coz a striker bullied them

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 23rd 2015, 12:26 AM

    The very striker you’re referring to went crying and whinging to the referee at every opportunity

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    Mute Michael Leahy
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    Sep 23rd 2015, 12:29 AM

    that’s why I’m saying they’re all pussies

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 23rd 2015, 12:39 AM

    also to be fair, I haven’t heard Koscielny or Gabriel say anything to the media. The referee is the one that referred it to the FA.

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    Mute Steve Kinsey
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:53 PM

    Mourinho’s gonna need a doctor. Oh…

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    Mute Finbarr butler
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 9:19 PM

    Fareplay

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:12 PM

    I can see the potential for a lengthy ban for Costa here. they could total up every incident as a separate red card offense

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:19 PM

    Even though he’s a p rick I wouldn’t agree with that. They’d have to do it to everyone else if that was the case.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:28 PM

    Oh I definitely don’t think it would be fair bit there was a lot that the ref didn’t see and that’s their specific role

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:36 PM

    Do you even think about half the bulls hit that comes out your mouth??

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 23rd 2015, 12:22 AM

    to be clear I was referring to the Koscielny incident, the Gabriel incident and the Chambers incident. All of which were not seen properly by the ref. That’s the exact requirement for the FA to look into it. I didn’t say I wanted it to be done that way or that it would be fair. Can’t quite see how that got you so riled up.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 11:45 PM

    “Brazilian striker” haha nice dig.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 23rd 2015, 12:27 AM

    to be fair, he’s not Spanish

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    Mute Farleysrusk
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    Sep 22nd 2015, 8:20 PM

    Mourinho tomorrow…….conspiracy against Chelsea, they are all out to get him………blah blah

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