The GAA has reported a 19% rise in revenue for 2024, with a bumper year for Croke Park driving much of the increase.
In its annual financial report, the GAA recorded total revenue of €132m, an increase on the figure of €112.1m for 2023.
This was despite a 10% decrease in match-day attendance in 2024, which was attributed to the condensed nature of the inter-county season, the style of football being played at inter-county level and the "perceived lack of jeopardy" in several championship games. The GAA insisted that all three factors were "under review", noting the recent altered playing rules devised by the Football Review Committee.
Gate receipts were nonetheless up in 2024, totalling €39.1m for the year, an increase of €0.6m on 2023. This was due to the hike in ticket prices for the latter stages of the championship.
Croke Park Ltd, the company which runs GAA HQ, recorded a 42% increase in turnover compared with 2023, with revenues of close to €59.7m, which was largely down to the stadium's busy concert schedule in 2024.
After the €18m cost of sales are deducted, the stadium generated a total of €41.4m, with €16m going back into GAA Central Council.
The stadium hosted a total of six concerts in 2024, with Coldplay playing four nights in the autumn, with Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC performing at the venue earlier in the year.
Related to this, stadium rental income jumped over €5m to a total of €14.2m for 2024. Food, beverage and meetings and events' income reached €24.1m, a jump of €10m.
A total of €20.8m was spent on stadium refurbishments in 2024, with €13.1m on upgrading the Cusack Stand and over €2m devoted to replacing seats in the lower tiers.
While gate receipts were down in the inter-county football championship - including both the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and Tailteann Cup - by €460,000 to €18.28m, the hurling championship saw an increase.
The 2024 hurling championship generated €12.36m in gate receipts, up from €10.95 in 2023. Much of the jump was attributed to the sold-out All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Limerick.
Attendances were down in both the hurling and football leagues, with hurling down €270,000 to a total of €1.99m, while football was down €220,000 to €4.85m.
Broadcast rights, which includes GAAGO, yielded a total of €13.27m, which is a slight increase on €12.5m in 2023.
Though the financial picture at national level is healthy, there was a sharp dip in collective profits for county boards in 2024.
County boards reported collective profits of €1.8m in 2024, a huge fall from €4.1m in 2023, with GAA Finance Director Ger Mulryan citing inter-county team expenses as being the major factor in the drop.
The cost of preparing inter-county teams hit €44m in 2024, with GAA Director General Tom Ryan admitting it was a cause for concern.
