GAA+ to broadcast 40 championship games this summer
In attendance to launch GAA+ is GAA president Jarlath Burns, with GAA+ pundits, Richie Hogan, Marc Ó Sé, John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer and Paddy Andrews. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
GAA+, the association's new streaming platform, will broadcast 40 Championship matches this season, including games from the Sam Maguire, Liam MacCarthy and Tailteann Cup competitions.
The new platform replaces GAAGO following an agreement between the GAA and RTÉ for the association to buy the national broadcaster out of their 50% of the old service.
A season pass for Irish-based viewers will cost €79 while GAA members will receive a 10% discount. Individual matches will cost €12 with three for two bundles also available. All care-giving institutions will receive free season passes through the HSE and NHI.
The first game broadcast by the platform will be London and Roscommon's Connacht SFC quarter-final on Saturday while New York vs Galway and Mayo v Sligo will be shown on Sunday.
At least three Munster SHC games will be exclusive to GAA+. Those confirmed are Tipperary v Limerick, Waterford v Limerick and Clare v Tipperary, while Dublin v Wexford, Antrim v Dublin and Kilkenny v Dublin from the Leinster SHC will be available. There will be one further provincial hurling championship game, from either Munster or Leinster, broadcast from the final round of matches.
Kerry's Munster SFC semi-final against the winners of Cork and Limerick's quarter-final will be broadcast by GAA+ on April 19. 15 games from the All-Ireland SFC group stages, preliminary quarter-finals, and quarter-finals will also be exclusive to GAA+.
“This is a landmark day for the GAA," said GAA president Jarlath Burns.
"I will reiterate the comments I made at Congress when I stated that the inception of GAA+ is a strategic move that guarantees exposure of our games in a small but intensely competitive Irish broadcast market.
"We are proud leaders in the indigenous sports OTT space, a commitment that ensures we meet growing GAA member demand whilst creating a commercial return that will be definitively reinvested in ongoing GAA initiatives around the country."
Marc Ó Sé, Paddy Andrews, Aaron Kernan, Michael Meehan, Bríd Stack and John Heslin, among others yet to be announced, will analyse the football action on GAA+ while Richie Hogan, Bubbles O'Dwyer, Eoin Cadogan, Seamus Hickey, Noel Connors and Tommy Walsh will do so for hurling.
April 5 Connacht SFC quarter-final London v Roscommon; April 6 Connacht SFC quarter-finals New York v Galway, Mayo v Sligo; April 12 Leinster SFC quarter-final Kildare v Westmeath; April 19 Connacht SFC semi-final Leitrim v Mayo/Sligo; Munster SFC semi-final Kerry v Cork/Limerick; April 20 Munster SHC Tipperary v Limerick; Ulster SFC quarter-final Monaghan v Donegal/Derry; April 26 Ulster SFC semi-final Antrim/Armagh v Tyrone/Cavan; Leinster SHC Dublin v Wexford; April 27 Leinster SFC semi-finals Offaly/Carlow/Meath v Dublin/Wicklow/Longford, Kildare/Westmeath v Louth/Longford/Laois/Wexford, May 3 Munster SHC Waterford v Limerick; May 10 Munster SHC Clare v Tipperary; Leinster SHC Antrim v Dublin; May 18 Leinster SHC Kilkenny v Dublin; May 25 Munster/Leinster SHC game TBC
