Virgin Media has questioned the broadcasting deal around GAAGO, suggesting that it’s in place merely to “drive incremental revenues” for the GAA and RTE.
The station also challenged comments made by former GAA president Liam O’Neill on RTE’s Upfront with Katie Hannon on Monday night when he said that TV3, which was bought out by Virgin some years ago, “ultimately went out of business”.
With the controversy over GAAGO, an online subscription service, having exclusive rights to Munster hurling games of late rather than the games being broadcast free to air, Virgin said that the GAA did not approach them when the last broadcasting rights deal was down for decision last year.
READ MORE: Former GAA president Liam O'Neill questions choices made in GAA broadcasting controversy
A Virgin statement read: “RTÉ is a 50% shareholder in GAAGO, this has never been clarified in any editorial discussion about GAAGO and the decision not to show key games on free to air television.
“When Sky Television decided not to renew its GAA rights, the GAA did not approach other broadcasters to ascertain whether they would be interested in broadcasting these games but arbitrarily decided to put them behind a paywall.
“The question must be asked, did RTE pay anything for these rights or did they just agree to keep them behind a paywall to drive incremental revenues for both partners in GAAGO, i.e. RTÉ and the GAA.
“Given the multi-million increases in State funding to RTÉ over recent years, RTÉ now has more sports rights than it can show on its channels, with licence payers now being forced to further subsidise RTÉ by paying for GAA sports content through its joint-venture with the GAA.”
As for O’Neill’s comments, the ex-president made them in the context of defending the controversial Sky deal in 2014, saying that “TV3 was going out, and it ultimately went out of business. We would only [have] had one station covering, we thought it was best to examine other options”.
“Virgin Media Television wishes it to be clarified that TV3 did not go out of business, as stated by Mr O’Neill,” said the statement.
“Based on its continuous success and achievements as a leading Irish broadcaster, TV3 was purchased by Virgin Media in July 2015 and subsequently rebranded to Virgin Media Television in June 2018 where VMTV continues to be the leading independent, commercial public service broadcaster in Ireland.”
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