Why can’t all the matches be on live all of the time?
‘UNBELIEVABLE Jeff!’ It’s a phrase that has crossed over from Soccer Saturday to become almost part of common parlance to describe a moment of unadulterated surprise and wonder.
At the weekend, Sky Sports host Jeff Stelling had to fight back the tears as he paid tribute to hugely popular pundit Chris Kamara, the man who coined it during those live on-site reports that made him a cult TV star in his own right.
Affectionately known as Kammy, the 64-year-old’s departure from the show after 24 years came following his recent revelation that he is dealing with apraxia, a neurological disorder that affects speech. And the highlights reel that Sky played in tribute had a warm, tongue-in-cheek feel that captured his everyman persona.
‘I don’t really know what’s happening, Jeff!’ was one pearler as they cut from studio.
Then there was the famous missed red card.
‘We’re off to Fratton Park where there’s been a red card… but for who, Chris Kamara?
‘I don’t know Jeff, has there? I must have missed that.’
Like a modern mid-afternoon Socrates – all I know is that I don’t know – he turned not knowing into an art form.
‘Get your fingers out. Count the number of Portsmouth players on the field,’ says the host, wiggling his own 10 digits and pointing out that Anthony Vanden Borre was no longer on the field after a second yellow.
‘No, you’re right. I saw him go off but I thought they were bringing a sub on.’ Cue explosion of laughter back amongst the studio panel.
The reason we know Kamara is because of his live sporting commentaries. The face-to-camera delivery with the live crowd over his shoulder, capturing the sights and sounds of the stadium – but none of the actual action.
Engaged, passionate, happily clueless at times – he brought just the sort of light relief to help carry the format. Basically, radio
on the TV. They thought it wouldn’t work; instead it became a staple feature of English soccer coverage. Stelling running through all the live updates, with the sidebar of scrolling results on the right hand of the screen.
Why can’t all of the matches be on live all of the time? Well, because that’s not how media rights work.
Sky’s Soccer Saturday and the Premier League rights represent a good example.
The bulk of the weekend programme and the traditional 3pm kick-offs are protected, with a few choice matches screened live every round of fixtures.
Judging by some of the commentary and criticism over another bumper GAA weekend in this compressed calendar – where the fixtures pile up on top of each other – plenty out there don’t seem to understand this basic principle.
Why wasn’t the Munster boxoffice clash of Cork versus Clare on television?
Because RTÉ chose to screen the Leinster counterpart, Galway versus Kilkenny, which proved to be the superior game. Not to mention capturing the Brian Cody-Henry Shefflin handshake at the final whistle that quickly became its own talking point.
Even if the two games were at different times rather than both scheduled for 2pm starts – another source of ire – it’s standard to pick a choice game in each code on a dual weekend.
Tyrone versus Derry was the obvious follow-on for the 4pm match – and the sight of the reigning All-Ireland football champions humbled and dumped out of Ulster was arguably the story of the weekend.
No more than those who dole out the media rights for the Premier League, or English soccer as
a whole, the GAA needs to protect the live matchday supporter as much as the live television viewer at home. Since taking over as GAA president, Larry McCarthy’s social media account features a recurring tagline: ‘See you at a match’. It’s not ‘See you on a couch’. One previous advertising campaign focused on ‘Nothing beats being there’ for good reason.
Gate receipts are a fundamental part of what makes the association function. A vital source for all the revenue that filters its way down through the counties and down to the ground.
That habit of going to games is vital. Putting everything on television is ultimately only self-defeating.
On Sunday, Sportsmail columnist Michael Duignan raised valid issues about the recent Limerick-Waterford Munster hurling game being behind a paywall.
‘I tweeted last week about the box-office clash between Limerick and Waterford taking place behind a Sky paywall and got a huge reaction. How that game should have been free to air. How it is totally wrong that so many of our volunteers, older members and young players, didn’t get to see that because of a paywall.
‘Now I don’t want to be bringing up dead bodies – I know there is more than one side to the argument. And the responses led on to other things, like ticketing issues and RTÉ’s own coverage.
‘To me, this isn’t about money; it’s more the principle of it.’
That principle of the promotion and profile of the games is worth putting a spotlight on, especially when there is little transparency around the actual Sky viewing figures per match. But they also offer quality production values and quality analysis and a competitor that keeps RTÉ honest.
THE paywall or pay-perview argument, though, is not half as valid any more. The principle has been established with the streaming revolution that took place during Covid.
Supporters, club and county, quickly adapted to the idea of paying to watch a game they were interested in with no crowds allowed due to the pandemic. And that was at all levels, whether a club match, county minor game, senior or whatever.
Cork versus Clare at Semple Stadium was actually available to view – just via GAAGO. For a oneoff match-day subscription of €10. This column has written before about how the GAA needs to be more fluid, more creative in its next rights deal. How a type of GAA Netflix would work so well.
And the GAA have moved towards a version of that with the expansion of GAAGO, which now features 12 months of games, including 150+ events from both All-Ireland Championships, the
Allianz Leagues, and the full club season.
Apart from the matchday pass for the likes of Cork versus Clare, there’s a monthly payment alternative to the Annual Pass of €120.
That’s about the equivalent of three months of Sky Sports.
Given the streaming revolution, there is no reason why a full-match version of Limerick’s win over Clare in the Munster football championship – complete with that historic first provincial penalty shoot-out – couldn’t be made available. Just on a deferred basis to protect the live crowd. Charge a fiver if truly necessary.
Like a GAA Netflix, if games like that which are not being screened live were part of the full GAAGO library, it would drive supporters to sign up for an Annual Pass.
And help meet the television demand – while protecting the live matchday experience.
Putting it all on television is ultimately self-defeating