The Championship Is Back – Live GAA Coverage Returns to Sky Sports & its available to more people than ever before

Wednesday 7 October 2020

Sky will make all of its 2020 GAA Championship Fixtures available to ALL Sky customers with every game LIVE on Sky Sports Mix.

  • The 2020 GAA Championship returns to Sky Sports in this unprecedented year for an action-packed winter like we have never seen before.
  • Sky Sports will broadcast 14 live GAA fixtures in both football and hurling throughout the 2020 Championship season, airing ALL GAMES on Sky Sports Mix, opening the fixtures up to the majority of homes in Ireland. The move means all Sky customers, even those who don’t have a Sky Sports subscription, will get to watch the action and be inside the game.
  • The Sky Sports punditry team of Kieran Donaghy, Peter Canavan, Jamesie O’Connor, JJ Delaney and Ollie Canning will be back on our screens from October. Nicky English, Mike Finnerty and Paul Earley will provide co-commentary for an unrivalled analysis of the 2020 season.
  • Gráinne McElwain will join Brian Carney as co-host of Sky Sports’ GAA coverage.
  • Sky Sports will commence its live coverage with Dublin v Laois in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship on October 24th.
  • Ways to watch the action: Live coverage and analysis is now more widely available to GAA fans who can watch live fixtures on Sky Sports Mix and via a sports pass on streaming service NOW TV.

After an unprecedented absence of intercounty play, the GAA Championship is finally back, and with games set to take place behind closed doors, Sky is doing all it can to be there for the fans. Sky will open its coverage to more GAA fans by airing all of its 14 live matches on Sky Sports Mix, available to all Sky customers and other TV platforms. Sky Sports Mix is available in approximately 900,000 homes in Ireland.

Crowds may be restricted but Sky Sports’ stellar line up of GAA legends will bring the games to life through unrivalled live coverage and expert analysis. They will also be on hand on Sky’s new GAA discussion programme, ‘Inside The Game’, airing every Wednesday in the run up to and during the season.

After his successful debut on Sky Sports during the 2019 Championship, Kerry’s four-time All-Ireland winner Kieran Donaghy, will join Tyrone great Peter Canavan to provide expert football analysis.

Sky Sports’ hurling analysis will once again be provided by Clare’s two-time All-Ireland champion Jamesie O’Connor, Kilkenny’s nine-time All-Ireland winner JJ Delaney and four-time All-Star defender Ollie Canning.

Lead commentary will come from Dave McIntyre and Mike Finnerty with co-commentary from Nicky English and Paul Earley.

Gráinne McElwain will step into Rachel Wyse’s shoes this year and will join Brian Carney as co-host of Sky Sports’ GAA coverage and Sky’s mid-week GAA discussion show ‘Inside the Game’.

Sky Sports’ exclusive live action gets underway on Saturday October 24th when Dublin and Laois clash in the opening round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Not one to miss, as Dublin will aim to seek revenge on the O’Moore County, who surprisingly knocked them out of the Championship last year.

Looking ahead to the Championship, JD Buckley, CEO, Sky Ireland, said:

“Finally, intercounty GAA is back, and while it may be very different in many ways to other years, our commitment to bring our national games to life through unrivalled expertise and analysis remains unchanged. This year, we’ve made the decision to move our 2020 Championship coverage to Sky Sports Mix, which will see our coverage reach its widest ever audience.

“To quote a famous phrase from one of our shows; ‘Winter is coming’ and we are eagerly awaiting a winter of jam-packed action as the Dublin footballers aim for a record breaking 6-in-a-row and the Premier County look to retain their All-Ireland hurling crown.

“We are delighted to welcome our blockbuster Sky Sports analysis team back this season and to welcome Gráinne to the presenter’s chair. Sport is back and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Sky Sports Mix is available in approximately 900,000 homes in Ireland on Sky Channel 416 and Virgin channel 409.

The games can also be watched on the move with Sky Go every weekend of the All-Ireland Championship, culminating with the All-Ireland Hurling and Football finals on the 13th and 19th of December respectively.

For all the latest GAA news follow @SkySportsGAA on Twitter and Instagram.

Sky 2020 GAA Championship Fixtures

Live on Sky Sports and Sky Sports Mix

*Exclusively Live on Sky Sports Mix

Saturday, 24 October

6:00pm Dublin v Laois (LSHC)*

Saturday, 31 October

1:15pm Monaghan v Cavan (USFC)*

3:30pm Cork v Waterford (MSHC)*

Saturday, 7 November

3:45pm Hurling Qualifier (SHC)*

6:15pm Dublin v Westmeath (LSFC)*

Saturday, 14 November

1:15pm Donegal/Tyrone vs Armagh/Derry (USFC)*

3:45pm Hurling Qualifier (SHC)*

Saturday 21 November

3:45pm Hurling Quarter Final (SHC)*

Saturday, 28 November

6:00pm All-Ireland Hurling Semi Final

Sunday, 29 November

4:00pm All-Ireland Hurling Semi Final

Saturday, 5 December

5:30pm All-Ireland Football Semi Final

Sunday, 6 December

3:30pm All Ireland Football Semi Final

Sunday, 13 December

3:30pm All-Ireland Hurling Final

Saturday, 19 December

5:00pm All-Ireland Football Final


For further information contact:

Sharon McHugh, Head of PR, Sky Ireland - Tel: +353 87 922 4143 / Email: sharon.mchugh@sky.ie

Rob Pearson, Teneo PSG – Tel: + 353 87 292 4484 / Email: Rob.Pearson@teneopsg.com

Notes to Editor

About Sky Sports’ GAA analysts:

Referred to affectionately by fans all over the country as Peter The Great, the former Tyrone Captain Peter Canavan has achieved everything in football. In a playing career spanning a decade and a half, he won All Ireland titles in 2003 and 2005, five Ulster titles, two All-Ireland U-21 titles, two National League titles and six All Star Awards and was named Footballer of The Year in 1995.

Having only retired from inter-county football in 2018, three time All-Star and four-time All-Ireland winner Kieran Donaghy was a very welcome addition to the Sky Sport analysis team last year.

Kieran’s rise to national prominence came via an unconventional route when a relatively unknown basketballer was the opportunity to showcase his abundant talent in a reality TV programme called The Underdogs aimed at finding new GAA talent. That platform would ultimately lead to Kieran’s his first inter-county start one season later.

Jamesie O’Connor is a familiar figure in hurling circles having been one of the pivotal players on Clare’s breakthrough team of the 90s, winning Munster and All Ireland titles in 1995 and 1997 and a third Munster title in 1998. A winner of four All Stars awards and named Hurler of The Year in 1997, he retired from inter-county hurling in 2004 following Clare’s exit from the championship.

He has enjoyed tremendous success at club level too winning back-to-back County and Munster titles with St Joseph’s Doora Barefield in 1998 and 1999, qualifying for the All-Ireland finals in both years and winning in their first final.

Since retiring Jamesie has maintained a high profile in the media as a columnist and TV analyst and has encountered many of the game’s top managers in the dressing room and on the field of play. He brings valuable tactical and technical insight to Sky Sports GAA coverage.

JJ Delaney is regarded by most hurling commentators as the greatest defender of all time. Having made his championship debut for Kilkenny in 2001, he won a total of nine All-Ireland medals, six All Stars and in 2003 won the clean sweep of all three Hurler of the Year awards. As one of Brian Cody's most trusted players, he brings a unique insight to Sky Sports coverage of this year's GAA All-Ireland Hurling Championship.

With a senior inter-county career spanning over 15 years, four-time All-Star and former Galway captain Ollie Canning, is regarded as one of Galway’s greatest ever hurlers winning four national league medals.

Ollie has enjoyed a glittering club career winning four senior all Ireland club titles with Portumna for whom he continues to play for. Ollie brings a unique understanding of the game and what it takes to perform and the elite level to his analysis of the game.

Sky Sports GAA coverage throughout the season also features expert commentary from Nicky English, Mick Finnerty, Paul Earley and Dave McIntyre. All matches are presented by Gráinne McElwain and Brian Carney.

About Sky:

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