The GAA has reported a €16 million drop in revenue for 2023, despite gate receipts soaring.
The drop can be explained by the fact that Croke Park staged no concerts last year after hosting seven in 2022, including five Garth Brooks sell out shows.
Commercial income was hit by the withdrawal of broadcasting partners Sky Sports and Eir, with the GAA instead picking up the slack through its subscription model, GAAGO, in partnership with RTÉ.
Gate receipts reached €38.5 million last year, which does not include the Provincial Championships, which is an all-time high, and reflects an increase of €5 million on the previous year.
Director General Tom Ryan expressed concern about the cost of preparing Inter-County teams, coming close to €40 million last year
He wrote: “In the current year, some counties have even expressed a consideration to withdraw from certain competitions for financial reasons.”
The Director General also wrote about an erosion of the GAA ethos acknowledging that managing Club teams is “is now largely a paid undertaking” while pointing to a “culture of treating the disciplinary system as a means to evade sanction”.
He also acknowledged a deterioration in Gaelic Football as a spectacle but said that experimental rule changes are coming down the track later this year.
Tom Ryan followed in the footsteps of Connacht Secretary John Prenty a few weeks ago when he criticised the Gaelic Players Association’s influence in players holding a “United for Equality” banner prior to the Kerry-Derry All Ireland Senior Football Semi Final last year.
He said he believes it may have negatively impacted on the integration process.
Mr Ryan added that the timeline for integration with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association will be revealed later this month.
The Director General in his report also defended the unsuccessful proposal to cut five counties from the Alliance Hurling League.
“In the words of CCCC Chairman Derek Kent, fielding a County team with virtually no adult Club activity underpinning it, it is simply papering over the cracks,” he said.
Considering the recent controversy over the naming of Pairc Uí Chaoimh in Cork to the new ‘Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh’, GAA President Larry Mc Carthy, Stadium Director Peter Mc Kenna and the Director General made it clear there were no plans to have naming rights for Croke Park.
It was an iconic stadium, said the President.
In an interview with RTÉ News, Stadium Director Peter Mc Kenna said initial negotiations had taken place with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport and Katie Taylor’s manager, Brian Peters and that Grant Thornton was also now involved.
However, he said only a few dates were available or suitable to stage a fight event and that nothing definitive had been decided.
Reporting: Marty Morrisey, GAA Correspondent
