CAVO STICKS TO HIS SLATING OF GAAGO PAYWALL
into account the complexities of the logistics we have to deal with in the real world.
“Seán Cavanagh on Saturday night on live TV, and he is an accountant at an accountancy practice, said that the GAA is one of the richest organisations in the world.
“We have €140 million of a turnover, of which we give back 83 per cent to our own members, counties and clubs.
“For someone to make that comment live on The Saturday Game, considering the business that he is in, is just absolutely crazy.
“The only place we can get money from is with the selling of our games. GAAGO is a very small part of that.
“I will make no apologies for saying that I want GAAGO to become a major revenue generator for our Association, because we need that money to upgrade our facilities.”
Burns’ comments tally with Cavanagh’s belief the GAA is using GAAGO as “a vehicle to maximise more revenue and more profit.”
GAA chiefs have come under fire for last Saturday’s Cork/ Limerick Munster hurling classic being placed behind a paywall.
This weekend’s Galway/Derry and Kerry/Monaghan AllIreland round robin football ties will also be on GAAGO.
A championship pass, which covers 38 games not available on terrestrial television costs €79, with a threegame package €24.
Burns said on RTÉ that GAAGO would not be viable showing less high profile games.
And he added that Cork/Limerick was one of four Munster Hurling Championship games that would not have been broadcast anywhere if GAAGO didn’t exist, as RTÉ chose not to televise those matches.
Cavanagh clarified his comments on the RTÉ GAA Podcast yesterday following Burns’ blast.
“I remember seeing a couple of years ago €40, €50, €60 million of cash reserves and a balance sheet of €100m,” said
Cavanagh.
“I’m an accountant. I know this stuff.
“For an amateur organisation owned by the members, owned by the people that are lining pitches, by people in every club up and down the country, for me that looks like a very healthy position.
“I think it was just the anger on Saturday night, the fallout of the Cork-Limerick thing and ordinary GAA people losing out.
“Let’s call a spade a game. That game should have been on TV somewhere free to air. I think everyone recognises that.
Sold
“I remember GAAGO being sold to me as ‘this is going to provide games to the world, outside of Ireland.’
“But for me night was us punishing people within Ireland who should be seeing that game.
“There’s a strong suspicion there has been tactical picking of the games to generate revenue and profit.
“Why does it have to turn a profit? Whether it’s subsidised by the government, why can’t you show the bigger games free to air to the Irish public?
“There’s a bigger picture here of trying to promote our game and not punish the people who run our games.
“I think that’s where a lot of the anger lies, where it felt like it was a little bit sneaky of the GAA to put that game behind a paywall and punish the ordinary supporters who really needed to see that.
“Equally, that game should be flaunted because that’s the game everyone’s going to remember. That’s going to get kids into hurling. It just felt wrong for me.”