RTÉ have lost out on the right to screen live coverage of the Republic of Ireland's home international matches for the next four years after the FAI sold the broadcasting rights to Sky Sports. The deal with Rupert Murdoch's company means that Irish fans will now only see World Cup heroes like Damien Duff and Robbie Keane on a pay-per-view basis as Sky Sports channels are only available on subscription.
TV3 currently hold the rights to screen the Republic of Ireland's away matches and under this new agreement they have secured the rights to screen a delayed showing of the matches one hour after they end. The agreement comes into effect this September for the start of the Euro 2004 qualifiers.
Speaking on the Six-One news, FAI Honorary Treasurer John Delaney explained that RTÉ offered the FAI less money than they paid out for the previous four-year deal that gave them the rights to screen home games while Sky offered far more than the asking price. Delaney admitted that this new deal is worth in the region of €7.5m.
When asked by Una O'Hagan for the reasons behind selling the rights to a foreign subscription channel, Delaney explained that it is the primary goal of the FAI to develop its game at international, domestic and grassroots level and that soccer is a business. He also said this would be spelled out to Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue when the FAI meets with him next Tuesday.
RTÉ Director of Television, Cathal Goan, said on the Six-One news that RTÉ felt a sense of betrayal particularly after such successful coverage of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup campaign in Japan and Korea.
Meanwhile, Labour Party spokesperson on Communications, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, has described the decision by the FAI to sell the rights to Sky as an act of utter betrayal of ordinary Irish fans.
"The government must also bear a major part of the blame for this disaster as they have failed to bring into operation the legislation passed by the Dail in 1999 to ensure ordinary viewers retain access to major sporting events," he said. "The government sat on its hands and this is the result."
"It appears that greed has triumphed once again in Irish soccer over the interests of the fans. The vast majority of fans who have so loyally supported Ireland throughout the World Cup and in earlier campaigns will now have to pay substantial amounts to this company if they want to have television coverage of the match. Viewers in many parts of the country will have to install satellite dishes if they want to see the matches," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
