Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media

Future of the Media Sector: Discussion

Mr. Rory Coveney:

If I may briefly add to the innovation question, some of the innovation we are doing is with others. We have developed with the GAA over recent years the GAAGO service, a TV service focusing largely on international audiences, but the new deal will focus increasingly on the domestic audience also. This is in over-the-top Internet television service. We have done the same with the United Rugby Championship, URC, and the domestic rugby competition. These are new initiatives. They are working with partners in a different way. Even some of the sports rights partnerships we have done are also new for us in seeking to share with some of our partners here in order to deliver to ensure that key events in Ireland remain free to air. Looking all over the world, so many of these sporting events are now behind paywalls, particularly in the UK. There has been a huge drop-off in access to mainstream sports for all audiences. They have all moved behind paywalls. In Ireland I think we have been successful. This is not just about RTÉ; it is a story that all the free-to-air broadcasters have been part of in ensuring that key sporting and cultural events remain accessible. That is innovative in an international context.

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