Gaelic Games

Peter McKenna welcomes sponsorship recognition for GAA’s commercial partners

Association’s commercial manager and Croke Park stadium director believes signs of improvement in market

Croke Park stadium and commercial director Peter McKenna: “Certain companies don’t suit our organisation such as betting firms and if we have one partner who is strong in a particular area, we obviously can’t take another one.” Photograph: Inpho

Seán Moran's face
Seán Moran
Tue Jan 21 2014 - 01:00

GAA commercial manager and Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna welcomed the results of a sponsorship survey indicating

the association’s commercial partners Centra and Super Valu have achieved the highest recognition amongst industry professionals for their sponsorships, which prominently feature respectively the All-Ireland hurling and football championships.

The Onside Irish Sponsorship Industry Survey is in its 10th year and Musgrave Retail Group, who operate Centra and SuperValu, displaces last year’s top sponsor O2.

"It's hugely positive recognition for our sponsors," said McKenna, "and follows on from last year's European sponsorship (ESA) award for Kelloggs and their sponsorship of the Cúl Camps and Liberty (sponsors of the hurling and camogie championships) have also been nominated this year."

Multi-sponsor model
The GAA has been successfully operating a multi-sponsor model – like the Uefa Champions League – for the past six years but in a small environment there are pressures. "Certain companies don't suit our organisation," said McKenna, "such as betting firms and if we have one partner who is strong in a particular area, we obviously can't take another one."

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He believes whereas the market isn’t close to bouncing back to its pre-depression height, there has been a “stabilising” recently. “There are signs of some improvement but we’ve still a way to go to get back to where we were.”

Elsewhere, on the commercial front, the GAA have announced reductions in prices for those buying tickets in advance of matches in the top divisions of the national leagues. According to a GAA press release: “Tickets purchased before the day of the games will now cost only €10 whereas the cost of entry on the day of the game will be €15. The €10 ticket price represents a 23 per cent decrease on last year’s admission for top level games . . .”

Tickets will be available from normal outlets including SuperValu and Centra stores nationwide and at gaa.ie/tickets.