Streaming helps to shore up some of the turnstile losses
IN THEIR 2020 accounts, Tyrone GAA doesn’t distinguish what revenue was generated directly from its streaming of their club championships but you can draw your own conclusions from the amount attached to gate receipts.
With restrictions on crowds pegged at 400, inclusive of players, backroom teams, match officials, stewards and media, there was no capacity for the county to come even close to the £246,765 it took in at the turnstiles in 2019.
And yet a drop of just under £8,000 on that 2019 figure was recorded, £238,965, presumably made by viewers willing to watch what was arguably the most exciting Tyrone senior football championship ever.
In winning their first senior titles in 64 years, Dungannon Clarkes were brought to extra-time in every one of their four games, including the final against Trillick which was decided by a dramatic penalty shoot-out, watched by 6,000 subscribers.
It was Trillick’s second shoot-out of the campaign, an illustration of the excitement the flagship competition created. No wonder they ‘streamed’ from 113 countries. The decision to broadcast 42 of the 46 games, while logistically difficult and coming at a cost, paid dividends.
Severe
Kerry didn’t distinguish their streaming from general gate receipts but with €205,699 taken in, much of that had to have come from streaming too, given the restrictions on crowd numbers that were more severe south of the border.
Local streaming is in its infancy and when the turnstiles start clicking again, the appetite not to leave the comfort of the living room will wane.
But in 2020 some counties really made the most of their product in the circumstances and Galway, with two of the better senior championships around, drew quite an interest.
In all, they took in €184,529, €107,658 hurling and €76,871 in football, from 65 matches involving 55 clubs which were watched in 33 countries.
Some counties were starting from scratch and entered agreement with various providers including Nemeton. Galway, Leitrim, Waterford, Roscommon, Kerry, Kilkenny and Antrim were among those to team up with the Waterford-based company who have been producing and directing live GAA coverage for TV companies for many years now.
Others like Mayo and Armagh already had established platforms. Thus, Armagh generated almost €80k, £68,987, for their championship games streamed, while Mayo took in €74,709. Cork GAA did things differently, selling the rights for their championships for €70,000 to the Irish Examiner who then provided the coverage, commentary and analysis.
In the case of most counties, market and consequently cost dictated that coverage would be basic with a provider, commentator and analyst generally on site for each game or programme.
The migration to companies like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime has been accelerating in recent years and has been helped by TV coverage.
The GAA are conscious of that; hence commercial director Peter McKenna’s reference to the possibility of Amazon Prime becoming an interested party when the GAA’s competition broadcast rights are up for sale later this year.