RTÉ coverage of this year’s GAA hurling and football championships will see 19 weeks of games in an effort to avoid any repeat of the GAAGo controversy around the number of paid-for and free-to-air games last season. RTÉ and the GAA came in for strong criticism for showing high profile games behind a paywall. Half of hurling’s Munster Championship will be shown on free-to-air TV, including Limerick’s first two games in late April.
Last year, Limerick’s clash with Clare was only available on GAAGo.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin got involved in the debate at the time, arguing that fans should be prioritised, and that he would have expected the GAA to want to reach “as broad an audience as possible”. Declan McBennett, head of sport at RTÉ, said it was “neither realistic nor feasible” that all sport would be available free-to-air. This year’s championships will be competing with soccer’s Euro 2024 tournament in June and July.
The championship ends with the All-Ireland camogie final in Croke Park on August 11.
