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):
