Televised Games 2012

**Mr A** · 23/02/2012, 11:18 AM

First ones announced:

2 March: Drogheda United v Shamrock Rovers live from Hunk Dory Park at 7.00pm on RTÉ Two

16 March: Cork City v Shamrock Rovers live from Turners Cross at 7.00pm on RTÉ Two

25 March: Bohemians v St Patrick's Athletic live from Dalymount Park at 3:45pm on RTÉ Two

30 March: Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians live from Tallaght Stadium at 7.00pm on RTÉ Two

6 April: St Patrick's Athletic v Shamrock Rovers live from Richmond Park at 7.00pm on RTÉ Two

24 games in total to be carried live by RTE this year. http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2012/...icity_rte.html

**El-Pietro** · 23/02/2012, 11:21 AM

4 Shamrock games in the first 5 weeks?

**sadloserkid** · 23/02/2012, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

4 Shamrock games in the first 5 weeks?

Two titles in a row and made an impact in Europe last year. Their position in the public eye is probably equal to the rest of the division combined at the moment. Might draw in a few casual viewers. It's up to Pat's, Bohs, Cork and Drogheda at that point to make their own case.

**legendz** · 23/02/2012, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

Two titles in a row and made an impact in Europe last year. Their position in the public eye is probably equal to the rest of the division combined at the moment. Might draw in a few casual viewers. It's up to Pat's, Bohs, Cork and Drogheda at that point to make their own case.

Apart from the first games, the next four are all decent games to be showing. Shamrock are defending champions so understandable their opener is being shown despite not being the most appealing that weekend.

**dong** · 23/02/2012, 1:37 PM

RTE are fooked for cash as well I'd say so trips outside the pale are even more of a burden to them than before.

**nigel-harps1954** · 23/02/2012, 1:52 PM

All this 'my club should be shown' rubbish comes around every year. They were always going to show the champions and the team who simply has the most public interest. Aside from which, they are all relatively big games.

**Sonny** · 23/02/2012, 1:55 PM

The defending champions are traditionally the televised game of the opening weekend, and the other three Rovers games are easily the biggest ties of the respective series.

**total hoofball** · 23/02/2012, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

Two titles in a row and made an impact in Europe last year. Their position in the public eye is probably equal to the rest of the division combined at the moment. Might draw in a few casual viewers. It's up to Pat's, Bohs, Cork and Drogheda at that point to make their own case.

I can't think of anything more off putting to potential viewers than one club being shoved down your throat every week.

**redobit** · 23/02/2012, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by Sonny

The defending champions are traditionally the televised game of the opening weekend, and the other three Rovers games are easily the biggest ties of the respective series.

I see your point Sonny and thats fair enough. I suppose what other clubs might be thinking is that the FAI represent all clubs. There are 12 teams in the top division and only 5 will be represented in the first 5 games. Not great in the interest of fairness. Suppose a lot will depend on what other teams are shown as the season progresses.

Do the FAI still not pass on the RTE money to the clubs that host live home games?

**Sonny** · 23/02/2012, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by redobit

I see your point Sonny and thats fair enough. I suppose what other clubs might be thinking is that the FAI represent all clubs. There are 12 teams in the top division and only 5 will be represented in the first 5 games. Not great in the interest of fairness. Suppose a lot will depend on what other teams are shown as the season progresses.

There is not a single league in the world where televised games are determined by fairness.

**total hoofball** · 23/02/2012, 2:31 PM

Originally Posted by redobit

I see your point Sonny and thats fair enough. I suppose what other clubs might be thinking is that the FAI represent all clubs. There are 12 teams in the top division and only 5 will be represented in the first 5 games. Not great in the interest of fairness. Suppose a lot will depend on what other teams are shown as the season progresses.

The likes of UCD, Bray only got shown on the box towards the end of the season if they got tangled up with the top team's title run ins

There should be a quota of a minimum number of live games each of the 12 teams is involved in like how the Premier League operates. Minimum of 2 games for every team would be fair enough.

**total hoofball** · 23/02/2012, 2:32 PM

Originally Posted by Sonny

There is not a single league in the world where televised games are determined by fairness.

English Premier League is one. It's worked well for them for the past 20 seasons.

**adamd164** · 23/02/2012, 2:34 PM

Anyone from Sligo confirm that they refused to allow fixture changes to facilitate TV coverage?

**Sonny** · 23/02/2012, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

English Premier League is one. It's worked well for them for the past 20 seasons.

I know they have some sort of quota, but it's hardly a comparable situation seeing as every single major game in the EPL is televised.

**HulaHoop** · 23/02/2012, 2:39 PM

Rumour doing the rounds that the reason there are no Sligo games on the box is because RTE couldn't get anyone from Sligo to confirm fixture changes.

If true Sligo are fast becoming as much of a laughing stock as Bohs!

**Trainee** · 23/02/2012, 3:35 PM

In Fairness to sligo,Rte might have said to sligo will you move kick off to a stupid time, (ie last year I remember 1 o clock kick off on Sat on RTE), so sligo would right to tell Rte to **** off especially if it was going to cost them money.

It will be interesting to see what attendances will be like for the Sunday afternoon games as it will clash with Gaa and premier league games

**holidaysong** · 23/02/2012, 3:56 PM

Anyone else find Ryle 'Rugby' Nugent's comment hilarious?

'A peak of 341,000 viewers tuned in to our Cup final coverage last year demonstrating the increasing interest and appeal of the sport.'

**redobit** · 23/02/2012, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by HulaHoop

Rumour doing the rounds that the reason there are no Sligo games on the box is because RTE couldn't get anyone from Sligo to confirm fixture changes.

If true Sligo are fast becoming as much of a laughing stock as Bohs!

Its the FAI who are a laughing stock in all this.

As I have asked above, do the FAI pay out to the home team for the shortfall on the gate that a live game will bring? No, I believe.

Its absolutely amazing that by hosting a game and showing it on RTE that the club can actually lose money. Yet the FAI bang on about clubs budgets and then go and put them in a position where they have to loose on the money on a match. Or else put it on at stupid o'clock like the game against Derry in The Showgrounds last season.

Im all for extra LOI coverage but it dosent favour clubs finacially at the moment?

**bluewhitearmy** · 23/02/2012, 4:03 PM

Why exactly do they even move the times its not like they have anything worth watching on RTE that that they would have to move games to stop them clashing.

**HulaHoop** · 23/02/2012, 5:11 PM

Originally Posted by redobit

Its the FAI who are a laughing stock in all this.

As I have asked above, do the FAI pay out to the home team for the shortfall on the gate that a live game will bring? No, I believe.

Its absolutely amazing that by hosting a game and showing it on RTE that the club can actually lose money. Yet the FAI bang on about clubs budgets and then go and put them in a position where they have to loose on the money on a match. Or else put it on at stupid o'clock like the game against Derry in The Showgrounds last season.

Im all for extra LOI coverage but it dosent favour clubs finacially at the moment?

I agree clubs should get some TV money but to say no to live tv coverage because it might affect gate receipts is a very short term and insular way of looking at things. Do you think when your club's management commitee were negotiating with potential new main sponsors in the off season that the number of times Sligo matches were live on television came up in conversation at all? I think you will find there is direct correlation between amount of money received in sponsorship and amount of television coverage a club receives. I know it was a big factor with SEAT sponsoring us. Another thing worth considering is the ability TV gives a club to market themselves and increase brand awareness. Most organisations would kill to be given a 2 hour TV slot to market themselves to the public. For the Spurs match last year we got electronic advertising boards in for the night but we gave up some revenue from having our own advertising flashing up on them every few minutes. In between ads for SEAT and Woodies DIY there were ads for Shamrock Rovers season tickets and membership. Short term we lost out on some revenue by not selling that advertising time but long term who knows what we could have gained by advertising ourselves and our brand. That's the way TV coverage should be looked at, yeah you might lose out on a small bit of gate receipts but how many potential new fans and sponsors could you gain from seeing you live on TV?