RTÉ set to lose sports rights as budget cuts bite

RTÉ could lose some key properties in its sports programming portfolio in a bid to meet director general Noel Curran’s target of cutting the Irish public-service broadcaster’s sports-rights budget by 25 per cent by 2014, the Irish Independent said.

Ryle Nugent, RTÉ’s group head of sport, told the newspaper that there was “definitely potential” for the broadcaster to “lose one or two” rights properties over the next three years.

“It is no secret RTE lost the Heineken Cup [European rugby union] highlights, walked away from professional boxing, was unable to broadcast the basketball this year and we weren’t able to bid for the Ireland and Italy soccer match last year,” he added. “We have had to make strategic decisions already and there are more to come.”

All of RTÉ’s major sports rights deals will expire before 2014.

Its deal with the Gaelic Athletic Association to cover domestic Gaelic football and hurling runs from 2011 to 2013, and its three-year deal with Uefa, football’s European governing body, for coverage of the Champions League, will expire at the end of this season.