RTE to show games until 2018

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2014/0829/640224-rte-fai-tv/

RTÉ will show 78 live SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and FAI Ford Cup games as part of a new agreement with the Football Association of Ireland, which runs from now until November 2018.
The deal also includes live coverage of all of the Republic of Ireland’s qualification matches in the UEFA EURO 2016 qualification campaign, which kicks off on Sunday, 7 September, against Georgia in Tbilisi, and highlights of all home international friendly matches.
Soccer Republic will also continue to cover domestic and international football on Monday evenings.
Commenting on the news, FAI chief executive John Delaney said: “I want to thank RTÉ for their continued support of Irish football, both in the SSE Airtricity League and our international matches.
"With an exciting league season under way and as we head into a highly anticipated EURO 2016 qualification campaign, television exposure is important for the development and promotion of the game and helps the Association continue the work it does across all strands of the game in every part of Ireland.”


Acting Group Head of RTÉ Sport Clíona O’Leary added: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the FAI, bringing Irish viewers live free-to-air coverage across the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and FAI Ford Cup.
“This comprehensive coverage, combined with Soccer Republic, an exciting series covering all aspects of the game, with a particular focus on football in Ireland, underlines our strong commitment to the domestic game.
"And, as RTÉ has already secured live broadcast rights for all of Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying games, we really have the most comprehensive offering for fans, all free-to-air.”

[desaintsno.12]

anyone know if that represents and increase or decrease ? havent a notion myself

[Nesta99]

Sounds good and then break it down to 4 season 17/18 games as season, cup semis and the final, so 13-15 league games per season, Added to Setanta coverage and its not that different to the current set up is it? Does the agreement feature any renumeration to clubs or are we expected to be grateful for simply having the privilage of RTE showing games. Maybe UTV Ireland has stirred things up a little

[Stuttgart88]

RTE are said to be delighted to have been paid by the FAI for this arrangement.

[nr637]

RTE will cover a few games at the start of the season usually Dublin based games, then nothing in the mid part of the season or European coverage, coverage will appear again for the FAI semi's and end of season league deciding games..............!
?

[oriel]

So what's in this for the clubs? Increase your profile on live tv, and in some cases see a reduced attendance?

There should be a properly compensated arrangement in place for the home side to get a set fee for each game, and not just the previous arrangement of having to be on for certain amount of times, even that was a paltry sum.

I think it's good for the league and shows good commitment from rte but the clubs need to paid as without them there is no game on TV.

[DannyInvincible]

How much is this deal actually worth to the FAI and do the clubs see any monetary reward?

[nigel-harps1954]

How much is this deal actually worth to the FAI and do the clubs see any monetary reward?

Not sure if you're joking or not regarding the clubs.

[Mr A]

Being on TV on a weekly basis should be worth a fair bit to premier clubs in terms of the commercial revenue they bring in. Retaining Soccer Republic is the main thing here- it helps all premier clubs in terms of exposure.

[DannyInvincible]

Not sure if you're joking or not regarding the clubs.

I was actually being serious, but I'm not sure why I thought anything might have radically changed in terms of how the clubs are treated under this "new deal". It will be more or less a continuation of the same, assuming RTÉ honour this one...

[TonyD]

The harsh truth is that RTE neither need nor (I would guess) want to show the league. Is this a condition of them getting International rights ? Anyway, it means the clubs are not in a strong bargaining position when it comes to demanding payment for games.

[DannyInvincible]

Is this a condition of them getting International rights ?

RTÉ's original announcement would suggest that they had already secured the international rights:


“And, as RTÉ has already secured live broadcast rights for all of Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying games, we really have the most comprehensive offering for fans, all free-to-air.”

Although I'm almost certain I saw another report on it somewhere which indicated that the LOI coverage was tagged onto a deal for the international games. I can't quite put my finger on it now though.

[nigel-harps1954]

When they're getting a chance to air the games at no significant cost to them, and without having to pay the clubs, it's a no brainer for RTÉ.

They take a lot of flak at times, but at least they are actually willing to show a certain number of games each season as well as a very decent highlights package. While Soccer Republic is by no means perfect, it's light-years ahead of anything the league has ever had before in my opinion.

[Bunny Kelly]

Any chance the Bwin or Bet365 will do live streaming next season like they agreed for the Irish League? It could be a revenue stream that actually gets to the clubs

[Charlie Darwin]

It could be a revenue stream that actually gets to the clubs
That rules out that so.

[gufcfan]

Any chance the Bwin or Bet365 will do live streaming next season like they agreed for the Irish League?

Where did you hear that? Can't find any reference to it.

[Bunny Kelly]

http://sportforbusiness.com/ni-strikes-streaming-deal/

[eelmonster]

http://sportforbusiness.com/ni-strikes-streaming-deal/

That's an amazing service for Northern clubs and fans. You can be sure the FAI have sold off the broadcasting rights for a pittance and RTE/Setanta would no doubt get their knickers in a twist if games were streamed by Trackchamp. Didn't they (FAI and broadcasters) pull the plug on Rovers and Pat's fans streaming their matches a couple of years ago? I believe the release of footage from our game against Linfield in Windsor has been blocked on similar grounds.

[gufcfan]

I know lads in a company overseas that had professional dealings with the FAI. They thought they were a bunch of muppets and that while they dealt with FA's in dodgy places around the world, the FAI's behaviour was still ridiculous in comparison.

So much marketing that would cost them nothing and would take care of itself if they didn't have the hand out before they even knew what was being proposed.

Edit: I'm not tarring everyone in the FAI with the same brush, but you can guess which lads with decision making power would behave like that.

[Dunny]

I see Sky have pulled coverage of IL matches.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/sky-to-pull-the-plug-on-coverage-of-the-irish-league-30571020.html

[dundalkfc10]

I see Sky have pulled coverage of IL matches.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/sky-to-pull-the-plug-on-coverage-of-the-irish-league-30571020.html

BWIN going to stream all their games live next season

http://sportforbusiness.com/ni-strikes-streaming-deal/

[NeverFeltBetter]

What a deal.

[NeverFeltBetter]

People are talking about John Delaney's recent media interviews in other threads, but this is specific to RTE, via balls.ie: "I remember them (RTÉ) offering €4 million in negotiations not to cover the League of Ireland at a meeting and I said no, we want a highlights show every Monday night and we want live football." (http://balls.ie/football/audio-john-delaneys-thoughts-on-the-league-of-ireland-754/)

Is this an indication of the kind of money RTE would expect to be making off their LOI slots if they weren't showing LOI football?

[Charlie Darwin]

I remember Delaney saying something similar a few years back, although I don't think he put a figure on it. It was common knowledge under the previous deal that the FAI were basically paying to have MNS as part of the package.

[blueblood]

Yes I remember he claimed that alright, once I wrote an email to Stephen Alkin at RTE complaing about lack of LOI coverage or something stating the only reason they were showing anything was because of this e4m deal with FAI, he assured me Delaney was talking sh*the!

[DannyInvincible]

The notional broadcaster...

[David BOHie]

Imagine what the league could have done with 4m!

[Charlie Darwin]

Imagine what the league could have done with 4m!
****ed it away on salaries?

[Mr A]

Imagine what the league could have done with 4m!

Blown it and lost at least half its clubs in the process?

[David BOHie]

Is money in the LOI inextricably linked with clubs going bankrupt? Should we be forcing clubs to cut back even more?

[WeAreRovers]

I remember Delaney saying something similar a few years back, although I don't think he put a figure on it. It was common knowledge under the previous deal that the FAI were basically paying to have MNS as part of the package.

Common knowledge is often incorrect, as it is in this case.

[Sheridan]

Common knowledge is often incorrect, as it is in this case.
Why don't you sue Delaney then, since he keeps repeating it in public?

[Charlie Darwin]

Why don't you sue Delaney then, since he keeps repeating it in public?
Presumably because he wasn't defamed.

[TonyD]

Imagine what the league could have done with 4m!

If it's true that that was a deal then maybe the FAI should have taken the €4million and spread it among the clubs in prize money and had no TV. In fact maybe this could be a whole new stream of revenue. Has anyone thought of approaching SKY, BBC, ITV etc and see how much they'd be willing to pay not to show the league ;)

[DannyInvincible]

Ha, I like your thinking. They should have taken the €4 million and let TV3/TG4 show the games for free if necessary! When the latter two showed games or ran a highlights package, were they paying the FAI? If I'm not mistaken, wasn't eircom League Weekly part and parcel of TV3's international rights deal?

[Sam_Heggy]

If it's true that that was a deal then maybe the FAI should have taken the €4million and spread it among the clubs in prize money and had no TV. In fact maybe this could be a whole new stream of revenue. Has anyone thought of approaching SKY, BBC, ITV etc and see how much they'd be willing to pay not to show the league ;)

Give each club €180k to clear debts. Hallelujah, we're all saved.

[legendz]

I prefer Setanta's coverage. Wouldn't bother me if they had exclusive rights for every matchweek.

[gufcfan]

Setanta at least give a damn about the coverage they air. Don't generally do 5 mins of lead up to kickoff, 4 minutes of which is ads.

The trade off though is Paul Dempsey and crap picture quality (not a problem for everybody I know).

[Charlie Darwin]

Setanta at least give a damn about the coverage they air. Don't generally do 5 mins of lead up to kickoff, 4 minutes of which is ads.

The trade off though is Paul Dempsey and crap picture quality (not a problem for everybody I know).
Picture's grand in the only part of the country that matters :P

Paul Dempsey is better than ZX Peter Collins 5000 anyway. And they have the games kick off at a time when away fans can actually make it on time.

[El-Pietro]

Picture's grand in the only part of the country that matters :P

Paul Dempsey is better than ZX Peter Collins 5000 anyway. And they have the games kick off at a time when away fans can actually make it on time.

ive always said Collins sounds like a F1 engine!

[gufcfan]

I don't know what Collins sounds like as there is an automatic switch in my head that flicks when I hear his voice, since the F1 days.

[Martinho II]

I dont see Paul Dempsey anchoring loi coverage on Setanta its the other lad that used to be on TV3 Stephen (cant think of his surname-used to be married to Grainne Seoige)

[DannyInvincible]

I dont see Paul Dempsey anchoring loi coverage on Setanta its the other lad that used to be on TV3 Stephen (cant think of his surname-used to be married to Grainne Seoige)

Cullinane. :)

[Macy]

Setanta at least give a damn about the coverage they air. Don't generally do 5 mins of lead up to kickoff, 4 minutes of which is ads.

I can never get my head around RTE's logic - they have a "highlights" show dominated by talk, and then for the live games they try to get away with the bare minimum talk. The monday night show needs more highlights, less talk, and they need to give more pre and post match analysis of the live games.

The costs in the highlight show has to be in the camera's and editting footage, yet they have some no mark ex-players and managers and stuey that must cost a pittance dominating the show. Lazy copying of "Against the head" which works because the games have generally been on live. Similarly, for the live game, the costs are in the camera's and editting, but then they don't get the maximum return for it.

[seand]

I think RTE do a decent enough job with Soccer Republic on a modest budget, but their use of their time/running order etc is bizarre at times. Last week highlights of the two FAI Cup semis were shown back-to-back in the first five minutes. I know both were analysed after but why show highlights of both games one after the other instead of splitting them?