Launching the 2015 GAAGO Season, the GAA and RTÉ announced that GAAGO, the online streaming service for Gaelic Games outside of Ireland, will more than double the number of games being shown internationally in 2015. This follows a strong first year for GAAGO, which saw GAA fans in over 150 countries access the service.
Having first launched earlier this year with an offering focused on the GAA Football and Hurling Senior Championships (45+ games worldwide), GAAGO will now offer an expanded service in 2015, streaming over 120 events to fans worldwide, including:
- The Sunday Game highlights show (20 shows)
- GAA Football & Hurling Senior Championships (45+ matches worldwide, 25+ in GB)
- Allianz League (44+ matches)
- Electric Ireland GAA Football and Hurling Minor Championships (6 matches - semi-finals and finals)
- AIB GAA Senior Club Finals (Football & Hurling – 2 matches)
- Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U21 Championship (1 match)
- GAA Football U21 Championship (1 match)
For the first time, The Sunday Game highlights show will now be available to watch live globally on the day of transmission, as well as on-demand.
GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Duffy said "GAAGO has been a tremendous success in its first year helping us to bring our games as they are broadcast at home to our members and supporters right around the globe. The feedback and general reaction after the first year was hugely positive and we are confident of building on the positive start with the enhanced package of games on offer in year two."
Speaking at the event, Noel Curran, Director General, RTÉ, said “RTÉ is innovating to develop new digital services and content at great speed, not only to serve our domestic audience but our growing international audience, who see RTÉ as an important part of their lives. GAAGO has proved to be a great development for Gaelic Games enthusiasts around the world and it is an historic step for RTÉ and the GAA, who have a long and proud shared history. As the GAAGO service moves into its second year, I am very pleased to see the service evolve with an expanded offering.”
Discussing the availability of The Sunday Game Highlights Show internationally, Des Cahill, Presenter of the show, said “The Sunday Game has been going strong for 35 years, and has been essential viewing on Sunday evenings for many people in Ireland over that time. It’s great to know that GAA fans, and fans of the show, even if they are thousands of miles from home, can now watch the show live or on-demand on GAAGO. GAA supporters, no matter where they are in the world, can now get involved in the discussion and debate on The Sunday Game, and I know that's important to them.”
A worldwide GAAGO Season Pass (excluding Ireland and Great Britain) is priced at €160 and will provide online access to over 100 televised matches, live and on-demand, as broadcast by RTÉ, TG4, Setanta and Sky Sports, in addition to 20 episodes of The Sunday Game highlights show. The cost of the GAAGO Season Pass is the equivalent of €1.33 per event, down from €2.24 per event in 2014.
For audiences in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), a GB Season Pass is priced at €100 and will provide online access to over 80 matches, live and on-demand, as broadcast by RTÉ, TG4 and Setanta, in addition to the 20 episodes of The Sunday Game highlights show. Games broadcast by Sky Sports will only be available through Sky Sports. The cost of the GB Season Pass is the equivalent of €1 per event, down from €2.22 per event in 2014.
Individual games and The Sunday Game highlights show can also be purchased worldwide on an individual pay-per-game basis, priced at €10. For the quarter-final, semi-final and final stages of the GAA Football & Hurling Senior Championships the pay-per-game price is €14.
Games are streamed in high-quality HD and include full commentary, scores, and studio programming as broadcast to audiences in Ireland. Subscribers can view the games online on any internet-enabled device including mobile phones, tablet devices and laptops.
Peter McKenna, Commercial and Stadium Director of GAA/Croke Park, said "The GAA's partnership with RTÉ is a long one stretching back many decades and the collaboration that is GAAGO has been a further positive extension of that relationship. We are delighted to be able to offer the Sunday Game, something of a GAA/RTÉ institution as part of the GAAGO package. We believe this initiative added to the exposure afforded to GAAGO through its sponsorship of the GAA Football Championship and the International Rules series will further widen the GAA audience globally."
Múirne Laffan, Managing Director, RTÉ Digital, said “During the first year of GAAGO, we have built up a very strong relationship with fans in 157 countries worldwide. From young to old, fans living or travelling abroad have been keen to share their experience of watching GAAGO across the world and over 90% of GAAGO users recently surveyed said they would recommend GAAGO to others.”
“There is huge demand from fans to introduce more games on the service and to give audiences access to a highlights show, so we are very pleased to be in a position to be able to offer international audiences more than double the number of matches, The Sunday Game highlights show and even better value in 2015.” added Múirne Laffan.
Today, GAAGO also announced a new 2015 Club Scheme, whereby all clubs outside of Ireland can get 10% of the price of a GAAGO Season Pass and GB Pass, when GAAGO customers use a club specific Promo Code when purchasing. Clubs will be issued with a club specific Promo Code on request. For full details, including how to register your club and terms and conditions of the Club Scheme, please visit www.gaago.ie.
To purchase a GAAGO Season Pass for personal use or as a gift for Christmas, visit www.gaago.ie.
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