IRELAND’S CONSUMER COMPETITION watchdog has confirmed it opened an enquiry into GAAGO to see if it is in line with competition law.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said it has been engaging with the GAA and RTÉ since May, “when it became apparent that the activities of GAAGO Media may have extended beyond those previously cleared by the CCPC”.

GAAGO is a joint venture between the two bodies and has proved controversial in recent months due to several high-profile matches being broadcast behind a paywall and not on free-to-air television.

A spokesperson for the CCPC said: “On 18 July 2017, the CCPC cleared the proposed formation of GAAGO Media, a joint venture between RTE Commercial Enterprises DAC (RTE) and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

“Under this joint venture, GAAGO would hold certain international digital media rights to GAA events and would show these events via an online subscription service.
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“In May 2023, the CCPC proactively engaged with the GAA and RTÉ when it became apparent that the activities of GAAGO Media may have extended beyond those previously cleared by the CCPC.”

Some GAA matches were broadcast by Sky Sports under a multi-year deal which lapsed last year. GAAGO took over Sky Sports’s broadcasting rights.

The spokesperson said: “It is common practice for businesses, including joint ventures, to review, extend or change their commercial activities over time and generally they are not limited in doing so. However, if a joint venture which was previously cleared by the CCPC expands its activities, this may amount to the creation of a new joint venture and require a further clearance by the CCPC.

“The undertakings involved would then be under an obligation to notify the merger to the CCPC to establish if there could be a substantial lessening of competition in any market in the State.”

Representatives of the organisation appeared before the Oireachtas Media Committee this week over a backlash about matches being shown exclusively on the pay-per-view GAAGo rather than on RTÉ.

GAA director general Tom Ryan told TDs that although it was “great” that people want to see football and hurling matches, he said “the expectation that every single game should be on television is just not realistic”.