GAA+ says dodgy boxes are 'dipping their hand into the GAA's pocket' for 40% of revenue

The GAA's streaming boss has warned that "dodgy boxes" are draining up to 40% of GAA+ revenue, with dodgy box sellers and users effectively "dipping their hand into the GAA's pocket" and threatening investment in local clubs and facilities across Ireland.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport on Tuesday, Noel Quinn of GAA+ described illegal streaming as one of biggest threats facing the platform.

"Piracy is the very evident answer to that question, dodgy boxes and infringement of our copyright," he said.

"Anybody who is ripping off official copyrights footage now is essentially dipping their hand into the GAA's pocket and reducing their ability to repurpose into capital infrastructure projects in Drogheda, or bibs and cones in Leitrim, or 3G pitches in County Cork."

Quinn stressed the GAA's commitment to quality coverage and grassroots reinvestment: "82 per cent of every commercial euro earned is repurposed back into the grassroots. So, any threat to commercial earning power is obviously taken very seriously.

"The challenge is piracy, and as well as that to continuously churn out quality programming and continue to invest in the best commentators, analysts and production companies in Ireland."

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The GAA has already been issuing cease-and-desist letters to illegal streamers, Quinn confirmed, and has joined forces with other sporting organisations to tackle the problem.

"In recent times, what the GAA would have done would have been to monitor and to issue cease and desists to particular individuals who are carrying out illegal processes," he said.

"The Alliance which ourselves, the FAI, Premier Sports, and others have joined together on, feels like something fresh. Equally, stronger legislation to go after people who are selling dodgy fire sticks and codes would be something that's very helpful."

Pressed about the scale of the piracy problem, with an estimated half a million dodgy box users in Ireland, Quinn said the GAA is caught up in a much wider crisis for broadcasters:

"The stat that Mark shared earlier from the LOI fan podcast about essentially one in two people sharing. The numbers are sporadic in terms of how many Fire sticks are sideloading illegal content.

"I think it's our battle and somebody else's war, and it's affecting Disney, Sky and Apple TV — and we happen to be collateral damage in that, which is unfortunate," he said.

"For us it is a major blow, and it's as much as 40% of our potential earning power that's being hit at the moment because of it [illegal streaming]."

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