GAAGO blasted as fans slam lack of hurling fixtures on free-to-air TV

The lack of Championship hurling matches shown on free-to-air TV in recent weeks has angered GAA fans - and things don't get much better this weekend.

Cork face Limerick in this weekend's standout hurling clash, but the game is not being shown live on TV, with GAAGO instead streaming it online. Carlow's clash with Kilkenny this Saturday will also only be shown on GAAGO, while Dublin v Antrim is not being broadcast live anywhere.

Similarly, last Saturday's double hurling header of Wexford v Galway and Waterford v Tipperary was shown on GAAGO, while RTE broadcast the Munster and Connacht football finals of Clare v Kerry and Galway v Mayo respectively live on Sunday.

READ MORE: Pat Spillane does not hold back on criticism of RTE's Sunday Game

RTE will again focus on football this weekend, showing the Leinster decider between Dublin and Louth, as well as the Ulster final of Armagh v Donegal, much to the anger of hurling fans.

A number of them have taken to social media to slam the decision to show so many Championship games behind a paywall.

One said: "There needs to be an urgent review of this GAAGO/RTÉ current setup.

"They’ve essentially taken over the old Sky deal. That was initially under a different Championship system with less games and also spread out over more weekends. We’re now left with some of the biggest hurling games of the year on a pay-per-view streaming service (which the likes of the Premier League still don’t have).

"I think GAAGO is a great option (particularly for overseas) but we’ve gotten the balance completely wrong here and everyone knows it. The exact same issues were raised last year but it seems the GAA has buried its head in the sand."

Another commented: "Every Munster hurling game should be free to air. It's hurling's best product. 2 rounds out of 4 before the final put on GAAGO. Whatever the agreement about provincial football finals having to be free to air, just change it."

Someone else wrote: "I'm a paid-up @GAAGO subscriber and realise every match can't be televised but the lack of top-level hurling coverage on terrestial television is ill-judged. Cork/Clare and Waterford/Tipperary were absolute belters which deserved wider audiences."

One other person stated: "The amount of hurling championship games not being shown on terrestrial TV is criminal. Two crackers this past weekend, and Cork vs Clare the week before, consigned to GAAGO. Sort it out."

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