Mr. Paul McDermott:

It is nice to be here. I thank the Chairperson and committee members for the invitation to attend this meeting today to discuss the future of sports broadcasting in Ireland. Sport Ireland is the statutory authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. Established under the Sport Ireland Act 2015 we are tasked with increasing participation in sport; supporting Ireland’s high-performance athletes; operating Ireland’s anti-doping programme; delivering coaching training; and developing the Sport Ireland Campus. Sport Ireland focuses its work on ensuring that Ireland is an active nation where people are encouraged to participate, progress and achieve in sport. As a statutory agency, Sport Ireland engaged with the Future of Media Commission in 2021. In our submission, we highlighted the need to explore innovative solutions between media and rights holders, who are the sporting bodies; to protect events of cultural significance through the free-to-air broadcast list; and importantly to diversify the coverage of sporting events and increase visibility of women’s sport. The Future of Media Commission report was published in July 2022.

It made recommendations for sports broadcasting that prioritise strategy development and enhancing diversity, inclusion, access and training. To address these recommendations, live sporting events consistently rank among the most-watched events in Ireland. We recognise the relationship between sporting bodies and media organisations, which is key to revenue generation, the development of local talent and the cultural significance of sport in Ireland. When developing a strategic plan, it is important to consider more than just broadcasting major events on television. It is also a chance to highlight a variety of sports through various formats and mediums while promoting coverage of activities that align with policies aimed at promoting a more active population.

Innovation is already influencing how sport is broadcast and consumed. The League of Ireland, the United Rugby Championship and the GAA championships all offer paid streaming services for matches. Sport Ireland supports over 60 national governing bodies and we hope that this innovation will be able to bring greater variety to the type of sports covered. There has been discussion in the media around accessibility to streaming platforms. Sport Ireland is not a regulator. As a development agency, we recognise the autonomy of our national governing bodies, NGBs. We acknowledge that, as rights holders, they can enter into commercial agreements that they believe are in the best interest of developing their sport. Balancing free access and commercial realities is difficult. There is a mechanism in place through the free-to-air broadcast list to guarantee the availability of sporting events with a distinct cultural value. The list is under review and there are clear criteria for how events are chosen. The free-to-air list should be renewed to ensure access to specific events.

An evolution is happening in the sports sector in Ireland, particularly around the growth of women in sport. The FIFA Women’s World Cup is one of the most anticipated live sporting events this year. Enhancing diversity in sports reporting and broadcasting will be key. The Sport Ireland women in sport policy sets an objective to increase the visibility and profile of our female role models in sport. Sport Ireland is actively pursuing this objective. For example, in June 2022, Sport Ireland supported 12 candidates to complete a media training programme for female pundits and analysts.

To briefly conclude, Sport Ireland is engaging with the media regulator on the implementation of the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission. We welcome the discussion with the committee and are happy to answer any questions on behalf of Sport Ireland.