FAI on verge of new TV deal

**Colm** · 08/05/2002, 2:29 PM

According to [COLOR=red]The Star[/COLOR] yesterday the FAI are on the verge of signing a new TV deal which will incorporate Sky Sports, RTE and TV3. The agreement will be worth 8 million euro to Irish football.The deal will mean much improved coverage of the Eircom league.

Here is the jist of it, RTE and Sky will continue to broadcast all Irelands home internationals while TV3 will show extended highlights of the internationals.
RTE will continue to show live eircom league matches and the sunday night highlights package. Heres where it gets better, Sky Sports will broadcast [COLOR=green]LIVE[/COLOR] eicom league matches on a regular basis when the new summer season is up and running. TV3 will also improve their el coverage, their cameras will, for the first time, have access to el matches, this will enable them to show highlights of the big games.

IMO, if all this is true it will be a huge boost for League of Ireland football. I think that if Sky Sports show live matches it will make the league more attractive to the armchair supporters.

**pete** · 08/05/2002, 3:31 PM

Originally posted by COLM
TV3 will also improve their el coverage, their cameras will, for the first time, have access to el matches, this will enable them to show highlights of the big games.

While I wouldn't expect the best quality coverage from TV3 i'm sure they be dying to fill their sports tonight show with the 15-20mins of eL football on a regular basis.

IMO RTE need to continue the 30mins weekly highlights throughout the season. However will RTE want to move games to sundays again?

**�anna** · 09/05/2002, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by pete
While I wouldn't expect the best quality coverage from TV3 i'm sure they be dying to fill their sports tonight show with the 15-20mins of eL football on a regular basis.

they give pretty reasonable coverage to the league considering they have no rights, so I think they deserve a chance anyway- they can hardly be much worse than RTE.

**R�iteoir** · 13/05/2002, 10:21 PM

Originally posted by COLM
Sky Sports will broadcast [COLOR=green]LIVE[/COLOR] eicom league matches on a regular basis when the new summer season is up and running.

This has been on the cards since last year - it is the main reason that the eircom League IS switching to the summer season - Sky will be investing heavily in promoting this product as their summer sport...

Great news for us exiles though!

**pete** · 14/05/2002, 9:36 AM

Originally posted by R�iteoir
[B]Sky will be investing heavily in promoting this product as their summer

I wonder why Sky so interested. They stopped showing english nationwide matches & itv digital took over - we all know what happened to them.

Is it just eL good value (i.e. cheap) for money & on during the summer or did they just want the international matches badly.

the cynic

pete

**Jaime** · 14/05/2002, 10:58 AM

I would imagine that all SKY are interested in are the internationals. However, their reasons for showing, of being forced to show eL games are pretty much irrelevant, it will be an improvement for the image of the league to be on SKY regularly, no question.

@ndy · 17/05/2002, 10:43 AM

It seems like a win win situation for Sky. The el games probably cost a nominal extra charge in the package. They get their internationals, and also a solution to the competetive football drought that appears during the summer months (WC aside).

A.