The Football Association of Ireland will earn €5.5 million from television rights from its home and away internationals over the next three years, following the closure of a deal yesterday with RTÉ.
Under the deal, RTÉ will broadcast Ireland's remaining home and away European Championships games, though Sky will continue to hold rights to televise the same matches. However, Sky will continue to have exclusive rights to Ireland's friendly internationals. "The audience for those is surprisingly good," a Sky spokesman told The Irish Times last night.
The settlement of the deal means that a High Court action, due to be heard today, can be struck out. Ireland's next European Championship qualifying is against Albania at Lansdowne Road on June 7th.
The package means the FAI will earn €2 million less than it would have had the exclusive Sky contract not run into trouble. The Government then decided to invoke EU rules to ensure that the games were put back on terrestrial TV.
The FAI chief executive, Mr Fran Rooney, said RTÉ had first offered €1.6 million for the rights to the games.
"We have now seen the full value of our games realised," he said. "Revenue is very important to the FAI. We need it to develop our games, particularly at grassroots level." Mr Rooney was speaking alongside the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern.
Rejecting charges that the FAI had simply lost €2 million, Mr Rooney said: "It depends on where you want to take a snapshot in time. The €5.5 million is way beyond where we were."
Mr Ahern however headed off any effort by the FAI to claim compensation. "No, there will not be in this climate of difficulties, but we still continue discussions with the FAI." Emphasising Sky's desire to keep links open with the FAI, a station spokesman said it would continue to broadcast Ireland's internationals exclusively.
Mr Ahern said: "Earlier this year, I vowed that I would succeed in returning top-class soccer to free television screens and unravel the exclusive deal with Sky. I have been as good as my word and this deal will see the home international on Saturday week between Ireland and Albania in the European Championship back on domestic television."
The Minister's decision to enact domestic legislation to give effect to the EU's Television Without Frontiers Directive had "the effect of unravelling any existing exclusive TV arrangements".
"Now the fans who have lost out on free live television coverage are back in the picture where they belong. Ultimately, the FAI will be the real winner by putting their key matches before fans and the wider public," he said.