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No Billo for the Irish abroad. via RTÉ Press Office

Emigrants to miss out as RTÉ cannot broadcast Euro 2012 games online

Irish abroad will miss out on RTÉ’s coverage of our first European Championships appearance in 24 years.

IRISH EMIGRANTS WILL miss out on being able to watch Billo, Dunphy, Giles and Brady run the rule over Ireland at Euro 2012 after it was confirmed that RTÉ cannot show the Boys in Green’s games online.

While Euro 2012 is sure to be shown on television stations across the world, licensing and rights rules dictated by European football’s governing body UEFA mean that Irish emigrants will not be able to watch Giovanni Trapattoni’s men line up against Croatia, Spain and Italy in Poland next summer on the national broadcaster.

Answering a parliamentary question by Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin the Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said that because of the rights issues, the Euro 2012 games will not be available to watch online on RTÉ.ie outside of Ireland:

RTÉ has informed me that it is only licensed to broadcast the relevant Euro 12 international games within the borders of this State because UEFA, as rights holders, licence broadcasters such as RTÉ strictly on a territorial basis.

It is for this reason that these internationals will not be available to watch online on RTÉ outside the territory of the State.

It means ex-pats will miss out on the analysis like no other that we get from former Irish internationals Eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Liam Brady, all of it moderated by Bill O’Herlihy.

A spokesperson for RTÉ told TheJournal.ie this afternoon that the broadcaster is looking at alternative options such as putting the analysis online after the event.

“We will be able to put something up there. We’re looking at the options at the minute,” the spokesperson said.

And despite this setback, ex-pat supporters can console themselves with the hundreds of YouTube clips of the foursome, just like this one where it all gets a bit heated (via downwiththatsortofthing):

Getting there: your Euro 2012 travel options

Open thread: have the gods of the draw been kind to Ireland?

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29 Comments
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    Mute Oskar Fritsche
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:14 PM

    Don’t advertise those streams please as they will be shut doen thank you.

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    Mute Liam Breen
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:35 PM

    p2p4u has had it’s day, myp2p was broader in terms of offerings and that’s closed down now. You have to try veetle.com for quality streams in Proper HD(monitor premitting) or install a sopcast client (won’t shut that down as it’s run by a Chinese university ) look for bloodzeed on twitter for helpful links. Tin hat off :)

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    Mute Ryan Murphy
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 7:37 PM

    Oskar speaks sense, Liam.

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    Mute emmomac
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:09 PM

    doesn’t really make much sense as the rights restricted content is in fact the games themselves. Surely it isn’t that hard to block the games and stream buildup, half-time analysis and post game tomfoolery?

    29
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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:32 PM

    I’ve asked RTÉ if they will do this… waiting to hear back.

    35
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    Mute emmomac
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 4:10 PM

    fair play to you. maybe if enough people request it they will consider?

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    Mute Gavin McGuinness
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 5:33 PM

    Half time and full time analysis surely needs footage from the game which would breach the terms set out by UEFA. I don’t think there would be a problem with RTE streaming the panel, however it would have to block out all footage of the game.

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    Mute Shane O'Connor
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 4:15 PM

    Just fake an Irish IP address. Surely that would do it.

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    Mute Eoin Fogarty
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:28 PM

    its quite easy to get a live stream, even an english speaking one but the analysis from the studio at buildup and halftime is what you need, id encourage anybody who wants to help emigrants during the euros to set up proxy servers…. then send me the addresses

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    Mute Patrick Slattery
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 8:16 PM

    Shup Eoin.

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    Mute Conor O'Doherty
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 6:47 PM

    Why is this a story? Of course they can’t show it outside of ireland as they don’t have the rights. Same reason you cant watch rte’s the premiership outside of Ireland.

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    Mute mojitio joe
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 4:42 PM

    Ah well the left us when the shit hit fan, it’s a pity about them if they can’t watch the games!!!!!

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    Mute emmomac
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 5:34 PM

    proxies are a royal pain in the arse though

    9
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    Mute limofax
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 5:13 PM

    Proxy server should sort it out.

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    Mute Paul M Brady
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 5:09 PM

    Just put an Irish IP adress in the settings of their browser and they can watch it. Simples

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    Mute Ciarán Lowney
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 7:03 PM

    We could make do without watching Dunphy et al, but it is not UEFA that prevent RTE from allowing the GAA outside Ireland….

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    Mute Rodger O Waters
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 6:09 PM

    They don’t have to listen to Dunphy’s predictable outburst to sell his column to the red top rags, could be worse ie Gary Nevelle.

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    Mute fizi_water
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 7:27 PM

    There will be dozens of other sites that will stream all games live if you have any clue about using google its 5 mins job to find them and watch then when ready.

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    Mute Liam Breen
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 3:46 PM

    Can they use aertv.ie ? With the rte+1 option it may even offer more attractive timings for our far flung emigrants

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    Mute Gary Anthony Mc Loughlin
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 4:12 PM

    they cant broadcast games online but can fork out a million euro per year on taxis instead of getting off their fat ass’s ….thats why i dont pay my tv license

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    Mute David Elkin
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 4:56 PM

    There should be no technical reason why they can’t show the pre-match analysis and other exclusively RTE content live. It will be wall to wall coverage of the Euros over here in Canada, but the analysis and punditry just won’t reflect what is going on. Especially with Ireland.

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    Mute Trish O'Gorman
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    Dec 4th 2011, 7:46 AM

    I’m also wondering why this is a story. Of course they can’t stream the coverage online overseas. They only have access to the rights to show it in Ireland, just like the RWC this year and any other international sports tournament. Hardly news..

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    Mute Conor O'Doherty
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    Dec 4th 2011, 12:12 AM

    Very disappointed in this story. Sensationalism at its worst. Easy enough for expats to see it but that’s besides the point & not what the story was about.

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    Mute Liam Breen
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 9:05 PM

    @ Ryan – Im not so sure he is to be frank. These sites just post links like the infamous Napster and suchlike, they don’t actually host the copyright infringed material and can’t be taken down on that basis.

    Internet was designed without control for compliance, merely ask/answer protocols and long may it stay that way.

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    Mute Ryan Murphy
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    Dec 4th 2011, 10:34 AM

    Fair comment, Liam.

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    Mute Herford
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 7:36 PM

    Decent proxy or VPN should do the trick.

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    Mute Shane Brennan
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 9:52 PM

    http://www.identitycloaker.com is your friend, I use it to watch GAA in Canada

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    Mute Emmet Galvin
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    Dec 3rd 2011, 9:35 PM

    I’m not worried…here in NYC I could watch league I Ireland games on tv if I wanted so I don’t thing the euros will be an issue…

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    Mute Brendan Halley
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    Dec 30th 2011, 7:44 PM

    typical european body that is uefa im talking about,whats the point in paying a tv licence if we are restricted like that.?

    1
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