Gaelic Football - Free to Air in America?

GAA shouldn't hide from America

While we wait for the snow and ice to melt so we can continue with the club championships, I was thinking about Former GAA President Sean Kelly's statement that they should air GAA Matches for free in the US.  I think the idea makes sense for a few reasons and I'm speaking from experience because I've been away for parts of the last 2 summers.


Price of Viewing Abroad is Outrageous
First, from the perspective of the viewers, it makes no sense to charge 20euro per match online. The price is the same for a league match as the All-Ireland Final. I simply will not pay that much. I'd gladly pay a fiver but I will not pay more than the price of admission to the actual match!

Instead of working overtime to pay for the coverage, I spent my time researching ways to hack the live feeds...I promise all readers it is possible. You just have to do your research and be a bit tech inclined or know someone who is ;-). Once I hacked the feed, I was able to introduce about 10 Canadians to the game and they are now life-long supporters. Imagine the potential if the games were available to everyone.

The other option is paying into a pub early in the morning to watch the Sunday matches. The price of this is also too high. This is a trickle-down effect of Setanta's high prices but also a bit of gouging by the pub owners. The addition of 'breakfast' consisting of a heap of old bagels doesn't justify charging admission. We just want to wear our jerseys, drink our beers, and argue with idiots...at 9am East Coast time without going broke, is that too much to ask?

A Beautiful Game
Second, from the perspective of the GAA, any exposure for the game is a good thing.  Gaelic football sells itself. It is an amazing game to see, particularly at the inter-county level. Newcomers are shocked by the physicality, the skill, and the fact that it is an amateur game. The game could only benefit from the kind of exposure that comes with a free broadcast to a country of over 300 million people.

What about the Lost Revenue
If a significant number tuned into the free broadcasts, the advertising revenue would hopefully make up the revenue lost on the Setanta contract. As it stands now, the Setanta online player is clunky, doesn't really work properly on Linux, and the customer support is a bunch of jackasses who answered only half my emails with helpful suggestions like 'watch the demo instead of the All-Ireland Final'! Are you kidding me? The GAA is not directly responsible for this nonsense but should not put itself in a position to be represented by a company that clearly has only money in mind with such prices and customer service.

It's time for the GAA to think beyond the value of the international broadcast contract. Sharing the game with the world will bring its own rewards.