Having championship games broadcast exclusively free-to-air "is simply not possible", according to the GAA's director of communications Alan Milton, with GAA+ set to remain as a broadcast partner for the association into the future.
The rights to show live championship games are shared between RTÉ, BBC, and GAA+, with 40 games available on the latter's streaming service. The current deal expires at the end of the 2027 season.
Not having all games free to air has met with some disapproval, with all of last weekend's hurling action only available on GAA+, as will be this weekend's high-profile football clash between Kerry and Donegal.
Milton, speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, gave an overview of the broadcasting landscape, emphasising that such attractive ties will regularly feature on the streaming service.
"I understand that people feel strongly about this but as an organisation if we are to future proof our broadcast offering and make as many games available as possible, it's simply not feasible for all games to be free to air," he said.
"In essence what we are dealing with here are 180 championship games on 30 matchdays, so it is going to be a blend going forward. We have two free-to-air partners (RTÉ and BBC NI) as part of that blend but it is simply not possible to have all games free-to-air."
John Mullane and Dónal Óg Cusack are among the voices who have aired their disapproval of the streaming service, with the latter comparing the GAA unfavourably with FIFA last week.
"If we needed more evidence of how the GAA continues to fail hurling with nobody minding the game in Croke Park, this weekend, again, proves it. The only live hurling this weekend is behind a GAA paywall," said Cusack.
"This is a policy of using hurling to promote profit instead of using profit to promote hurling. Convince us otherwise," he added.
"Soon, children in this country will receive 104 World Cup matches free to air. What they see is what they dream of becoming.
"Has FIFA a better strategy and feel for growing a sport than the custodians of hurling do?"
However Milton insists that "GAA+ can't just carry games that are of mediocre interest", going for the so-called blockbuster clashes will happen.
"If it is to be a credible platform for broadcast it needs to have games that are highly attractive," he added.
"From time to time and depending on how the games fall, how they are scheduled by the CCC, GAA+ will get plum games. If the GAA are to be savvy in this case, we have to futureproof our offering. We're involved in a lot of infrastructural projects and when you reinvest 83% of what comes in, we have to be efficient and forward thinking," he said.
"I appreciate that that can come as a challenge to an older cohort. We have a shorter season now, more games across the two codes. It is a challenging landscape to try and offer the best coverage and you probably are not going to satisfy everybody all of the time."
The yearly pass for GAA+ is €95, with Milton stating "that there or no plans to increase the fee at the moment, while also adding that "if another media partner was to come into play or express an interest, that changes the landscape".
Watch a provincial hurling double-header, Dublin v Kilkenny (2pm) and Cork v Clare (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport
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