The New Sponsorship Deal:
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On the 19th March 2008, GAA President Nickey Brennan announced a new list of sponsors for the Hurling and Football Championships. The Hurling Championship would now be sponsored by Etihad Airways, Guinness and RTE. The Football championship would be sponsored by Vodafone, Ulster Bank and Toyota. Research carried out in 2007 strongly endorsed the multiple sponsor concept, a practice previously associated with competitions such as the Champions League Soccer tournament which is sponsored by a number of companies. Padhraic O’Ciardha of TG4 believes that one sponsor for each code would have been a better option stating,
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In short, I’m not sure that the commercial arm of the GAA speaks with the same tongue as the sporting arm of the GAA. […] It is not always clear that the commercial arm isn’t getting the upper hand and I think that probably is bad for the GAA.[1]
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Because most sports are professional, and the GAA is the only amateur organisation in Ireland, there is perhaps pressure on them. The saying goes, “The GAA is an amateur organisation, run by professionals.” The question is, however, will that which works for professional organisations like FIFA and the Champion’s League, work for the GAA, a far smaller association, with less players and an amateur status? Under the new sponsorship the championships names would change to the GAA Hurling All Ireland Championship and GAA Football All Ireland Championship. “Because title ownership of the All Ireland Championships reverts to the GAA, the introduction of new signage, broadcast, advertising and promotional agreements around the Championships is also being introduced.”[2] Of the new sponsorship deal, President Nickey Brennan stated,
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I am also pleased to announce that the GAA will be investing in a major marketing support campaign to promote the Championships which will include a comprehensive advertising, PR and promotional drive throughout the duration of the competitions. The GAA’s Commercial & Marketing team has been bolstered and PR and Advertising agencies have been appointed to oversee the roll out of what we hope will be an effective campaign to promote the GAA Championships.[3] (Italics Website’s Own)
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This is an interesting statement to look at, not only because it reveals a seeming emphasis on commercial partnership for the GAA to prosper, but also because there seems to be a slight worry when it comes to marketing the GAA. One must ask if there is a fear in the organisation that GAA is losing some of its appeal to viewers and if this is resulting in the need for the bolstering of the PR and advertising. The other interesting statement in relation to this point comes from Geraldine O’Leary of RTE who says:
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RTÉ is delighted to be one of the partners who have secured sponsorship of the hurling championship for the next two years. This sponsorship provides a platform for RTÉ Sport to reinforce our brand with a huge number of GAA fans while strengthening our association with our national game.[4] (Italics Website’s Own)
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There seems to be a sense of fear in both statements, of losing some semblance of national identity and importance; the GAA as that of the national game, and RTE as that of the national station. As I will examine in Chapter 2, there has been recent and I believe, ongoing speculation about TV Rights for GAA and this, of course, would have a bearing on RTE and their public broadcast remit. One thing that must be looked at here is the growth of rugby and soccer in the country, and ultimately the relaxing of Rule 42. It could be argued that the relaxing of Rule 42 and the opening of Croke Park has led to a sense of diminishment within the GAA, the idea that if the national home of GAA is to be open to all, it is no longer the home of the GAA but just a place where GAA takes place. Because of Croke Park’s status, albeit unofficial, as the National Stadium, it has been easy to highlight the GAA, previously, the only sport played there, as the National Sport. However, with the opening of the stadium to Rugby and Soccer, that line can be seen to have become blurred, and it is possible that the GAA fear that their status as the dominant national game is being damaged. Padhraic O’Ciardha believes that the lines have not been blurred and that people who know little or nothing about GAA come away from Croke Park after rugby or soccer matches with a better idea of what the GAA does, and its importance in the country, aswell as seeing what a magnificent stadium Croke Park is. He also mentions how the GAA handled the relaxing or “getting rid” of Rule 42 very well. There have been recent calls for Croke Park to remain open after Lansdowne Road, the original home of rugby and soccer is reopened. This statement seems to suggest that Mr O’Ciardha believes that the GAA will continue to allow Croke Park to be used. The question seems to be that of co-existence. Can the GAA and the other sports of the country co-exist in the one location without a fear of losing identity? The GAA has the opportunity to respond to this argument with their decision about whether or not to reintroduce Rule 42, which at the time of it’s lifting had been intended on being nothing more than temporary.
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The question of professionalism also expands as a result of the multiple sponsorship deal. If the GAA can earn huge sums of money from sponsorship campaigns, shouldn’t players be allowed to, too? Admittedly there are a small number of players who benefit from personal sponsorship already (i.e. Sean Óg O’hAilpin) but is this not another step towards professionalism? The fact that this new sponsorship deal is the same format as that of the Champion’s League, or FIFA World Cup, which are both professional competitions, suggests a hint of burgeoning professionalism and most likely, increased commercialism. Each county has its own sponsors who appear on jerseys, etc, but when players begin to make their own individual commercial decisions, despite their status as players of an amateur game, is this not a further step towards professionalism?
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[1] See Appendix 1, p.33[2] GAA Announce Championship Sponsors, http://ulster.gaa.ie/media/press-releases/
[3] ibid.
[4] ibid.
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