Friday 19 September 2014

The Power Of Sky Sports Is Shown By Increase In GAA Betting

We all know that Sky Sports is a major driver of sports in the United Kingdom, and that they have a huge say in the amount of live betting that takes place. A lot of people are keen to place bets when it comes to live sporting events and when it comes to live sporting bets, it is difficult to beat what Sky has to offer. The company may prefer if punters place their bets on their own Sky Bet portal but there is no doubt that the company has greatly helped the UK betting industry to grow over the years.
Anyone still doubting the power of Sky Sports with respect to betting needs only look at the rise in GAA betting. The sport is now included on Sky Sports and this has seen a huge number of people watch the game compared to previous audiences.

Sky Sports signed a three year deal for the GAA games

Since June of 2014, Sky Sports have been showing Hurling and All-Ireland Gaelic Football, with the company signing a three year agreement to show these sports. These are hugely popular sports in Ireland and have a large audience share in countries featuring Irish ex-pats, which is clearly a large proportion of the world. There were over a million viewers for the recent All Ireland SHC Final and you can see why this would be of benefit to the UKbetting industry.
The deal will see 20 games shown live exclusively in the UK, with a whole host of highlight packages and other features to look out for. There will also be live mobile streaming, and the package put together by Sky has been hugely impressive. There have been some concerns expressed by RTE and TG4, Irish broadcasters who fear they may eventually lose coverage of the game due to Sky’s involvement but at the moment, there is a lot of positivity about the sports and the betting.

Paddy Power have benefitted from the Irish focus

One firm that you know is delighted about Sky’s involvement with the Gaelic Games is Paddy Power. As the number one Irish betting site, this is going to be the first port of call for most people looking to place a bet on these games, so anything that helps to improve awareness and interest in the sport is likely to be of benefit to the company. They have announced that they already offer 80 separate markets on a televised GAA game and when the season is in full flight, they expect this figure to rise. Over the course of the season, Paddy Power expects to provide betting options on more than 150 games from all 32 counties of Ireland.


The firm also said that they received a rise in UK bets on Gaelic Games of almost 30% compared to the previous year. The role of Sky Sports in boosting awareness and encouraging punters to place bets on this sport is massive, and it is one that not only boosts Sky, it will boost firms around the country. It is clear to see why Paddy Power has a head start on their rivals, but if any firm is keen to be seen as a reliable provider of hurling and Gaelic football bets, there is still plenty of time to get involved in the market.
Of course, it has also been great news for the GAA and they have been delighted with the increase in awareness and interest in their game since Sky Sports has taken over. The fact that these games are often played out in the summer time will likely have a long impact as well. This summer was a World Cup summer, so plenty of sports fans would have been occupied but in 2015, there will be a lot less competition for the Gaelic Games. This means that the level of interest, and the number of bets places on the sports, could increase dramatically.