Ireland

The Gaelic Athletic Association agreed multi-million euro TV and radio rights deals with RTE and TV3 that carve up coverage of the GAA championship over the next three-years.

Setanta Sports is bracing itself for a succession of takeover bids after an undisclosed European rival reportedly made an unsolicited bid of over €1 billion for the Irish pay-television broadcaster.

Irish public-service broadcaster RTE is expected to secure the TV rights for the four remaining Gaelic Athletic Association packages after fending off competition from commercial rivals TV3 and Setanta.

United Arab Emirates national airline, Etihad Airways, is believed to be one of six companies interested in sponsoring the All-Ireland hurling championships.

Sponsorship spend in Ireland is set to increase 20 per cent to a record €135 million in 2008 according to new forecasts released by leading Dublin consultancy Onside Sponsorship.

Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ has acquired the exclusive live rights to all RBS Six Nations Championships games on television, radio and online in a four-year deal from 2010 to 2013. 

A bidding war between Irish broadcasters RTE and Setanta looks set to develop for the TV rights of all football and hurling championship matches.

Irish airline Aer Arann has agreed a partnership deal with Rally Ireland.

European Athletics announced that three applications have been received for both the European Athletics Indoor Championships 2011 and the SPAR European Cross Country Championships 2009.

Kingspan Group agreed a deal to become the Official Sponsor of the 2007 Irish Open.

The professional Tour of Ireland is making a return some fifteen years after the final Nissan Classic.

RTÉ won the rights for the 2014 World Cup in a deal agreed through its association with the European Broadcasting Union.

Kingspan Group, the building materials manufacturer agreed a deal with the International Rugby Board (IRB) to title-sponsor its Under 19 World Championship.

Rugby World Cup 2007, landmark new GAA deals and major sports events including the World Rally Championships and Seve Trophy are all set to push spend by businesses on major sponsorship in Ireland up to a new high of €103 million in 2007.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) brought in more money from sponsorship last year than ever before.

Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association could align the currently separate sponsorship of the All-Ireland football and hurling championships and negotiate them as a single package for 2008.