Gaelic Athletic Association Commercial Dir Peter McKenna "has insisted that locking the association down to a fresh five-year media rights deal with Sky Sports was a logical move that has brought vital stability," according to Paul Keane of the LONDON TIMES. McKenna, who doubles as Croke Park stadium manager, "played a central role in the controversial decision" to, firstly, bring the subscription-based broadcaster into the GAA market in '14 and, more recently, "to extend the arrangement by five years." Sky Sports was "handed exclusive rights to 14 Championship games in April 2014 for a period of three years, the traditional lifespan of GAA media deals." The latest deal, confirmed late last year, "covers a five-year period and has frustrated those who believe that Sky should be removed from the agreement, not embraced for an even longer than normal period." McKenna "defended the length of the deal" which ties the GAA down to terms with all of its media partners for the next five years, despite acknowledging that it is an evolving and lucrative market. He said, "I think it’s because of stability. We have a very, very small team here in Croke Park. What we have got [with the deal] is stability. We know that it is now locked and secure for five years. That allows us to plan and to get ourselves ready for the next tranche.” It has been reported that the latest broadcasting package could be worth as much as €80M ($86.3M) to the GAA over the five years. McKenna: “I know you would love me to give a figure, which I am not going to, but I think we achieved balance in the media rights this time around" (LONDON TIMES, 2/2).
