FAI agrees new 4-year TV rights deal with RTE

from www.fai.ie

The Football Association of Ireland has agreed a new 4-year TV rights contract with RTE. The new agreement was described by FAI Chief Executive Officer, John Delaney as “a very substantial and significant one for football in Ireland”.

The agreement provides live TV broadcasting rights to RTE for all Irish senior international home competitive games until the completion of the World Cup qualifying games for World Cup 2010. RTE also gains rights to transmit on a deferred basis, coverage of all senior home international friendly fixtures in the same period. Radio rights are also included in the 4-year term of the agreement.

“This is an excellent deal for the FAI, for football and for supporters of the game”, he said. “The new agreement will enable the FAI to continue a very significant programme of investment in the game in Ireland and signals a renewed and strong relationship with RTE”, Delaney added.

“The fee involved is a significant increase on the current arrangement and reflects a very strong market value and improving stature for Irish international football TV rights”, he said.

Mr Delaney also said that negotiations for an innovative and exciting package for the domestic game are at an advanced stage. A detailed announcement should be finalised in the coming weeks, he added

:ball: :ball: :ball:

Same old story if you ask me.
Agreement on the international deal, advanced talks in the domestic deal.
They were obviously negotiated separately.
Delaney has still negotiated the International and domestic packages separately, probably leaving RTE with the option of abandoning the EL when they wish.

Interesting to see RTE now have rights for deferred coverage of the friendlies which emans TV3 have nothing now. Will v3 dump the eL now? I don't think they will as eL weekly must cost virtaully nothing to make & probably has good viewing figures for 11.30pm at night.

I don't think the FAI would ever have held RTE to ransom over the eL but how can it make any sense to conclude after the international deal? Anyway how can the FAI negotiate the eL tv deal when they keep telling us the eL is a different body?

:confused:

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Originally Posted by pete

how can it make any sense to conclude after the international deal?

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Because they don't care.

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Originally Posted by tiktok

Delaney has still negotiated the International and domestic packages separately, probably leaving RTE with the option of abandoning the EL when they wish.

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This beggars belief. Untc. :mad:

i'd give it a 'wait and see' - with sentanta on the scene, and actually paying money for things, god help us! rte may lap up crumbs like el prem rights

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Originally Posted by wws

i'd give it a 'wait and see' - with sentanta on the scene, and actually paying money for things, god help us! rte may lap up crumbs like el prem rights

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I know they get also get title sponsorship but Setanta are effectively paying 35k per setanta cup game whereas be lucky if RTE pay even half that for league games.

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Originally Posted by wws

with sentanta on the scene, and actually paying money for things

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If Setanta can do a good job covering the Setanta Cup then, along with the prize money, they'll surely have made the single greatest contribution to the domestic game, by a TV station, since its inception!?
They will deserve a few extra credits in the bidding after that.

What about underage games? Not saying there'd be much of an audience for it, but at least Sky give time to U-19, U-21 and schoolboy english games, even a one-off programme once a month would be a step up for RTE

Here's what RTÉ have to say -


RTÉ ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF AGREEMENT WITH FAI UP TO 2010

RTÉ today (Tuesday 1st February) announced details of
an agreement with the Football Association of Ireland
(FAI) which covers television and radio rights for
international football on the public service
broadcaster up to 2010.

Under the terms of the deal, RTÉ has secured the rights
to broadcast all of the Republic of Ireland’s
competitive home international matches up to the 2010
World Cup on both television and radio. This includes
all home qualifiers for the 2008 European Championships
in Austria and Switzerland, and all home qualifiers for
the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The deal also
includes any home play-off matches. In addition, RTÉ
will also hold the broadcast rights on both media for
all home friendly matches on a deferred basis from 1st
August 2006 to 30th June 2010.

RTÉ is already broadcasting the Republic of Ireland’s
home qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the
rights for which were secured in a previous agreement.

Glen Killane, RTÉ Head of TV Sport, said: “This is
great news for Irish football fans. I’m delighted that
we are delivering coverage of the national team in both
friendly and competitive matches to the widest possible
audience. It ensures that all of the Irish public will
be able to participate in what looks like being an
exciting time for the Irish national team. RTÉ are
looking forward to continued partnership with the FAI
in the years ahead.”

Speaking about the deal, Paddy Glackin, Editor, RTÉ
Radio Sport, said: “RTÉ Radio is looking forward to
continuing and developing our long-standing
relationship with the FAI, and to bringing a
comprehensive national coverage of International soccer
to our listeners.”

Whats happening with Sky?

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Whats happening with Sky?

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perhaps no longer interested because their is not chance of gaining an exclusive deal

I assume this has no bearing on Sky being able to show the games in Britain?

So RTE and Sky are both showing games? Hope so. Prefer Sky as I prefer to see player interviews, etc instead of pre-analysis on RTE.

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Originally Posted by Dan K

I assume this has no bearing on Sky being able to show the games in Britain?

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depends on what way the geographical rights were negotiated with RTE. Sky could simply buy in to the contract in the same way as they were forced to allow RTE into their coverage

It's a joke that RTE doesn't do U21 coverage at the very least.

RTE & TV3 doing the EL coverage is a waste of time as well. The bit that they cover ends up being all Dublin games. It's tired, boring and uninspired.
The best channel for the EL would be TG4, they'd give it great coverage, but the only draw backs would be games being as gaeilge, and not a lot of money in return. Would certainly raise the profile of the league though.

Sky are essentially not allowed bid for "domestic" rights here cos of the protected events status. Sky still have UK rights + exclusive live friendly rights.

I think its all a bit bizarre as no competition to RTE so who knows what a fair price for FAI rights are.

Reality is that vast majority of irish people only want to see those few competitive home friendlies a year & couldn't care less about anything else.

Be interesting to see if Setanta would qualify to bid on domestic rights...

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Originally Posted by pete

Sky are essentially not allowed bid for "domestic" rights here cos of the protected events status.

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They are allowed to bid but they must sell live broadcast rights to a non encrypted national terrestrial broadcaster (TV3 RTE TG4) at a fair market rate. The reason they paid so much last time was the exclusivity plus the fact that RTE were offering so little. I know it was deeply unpopular but at least RTE are now paying decent money to the FAI as a result.

Setanta would also be allowed to bid but would equally have to sell on the rights so not much point for them really unless the FAI decide to sell UK only rights