Kieran Hartigan: “We’re really happy to add that further piece, bringing it to Irish audiences and helping make it a very Irish event”
TG4 broadcast this year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic live from the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 August. Georgia Tech played Florida State University in the opening fixture for the College Football season which was also an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) game. This was the first time ever that the match was broadcast live on free-to-air television in Ireland.
Ahead of the game TG4 head of sport Rónán Ó Coisdealbha said: “TG4 are pleased to be bringing the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to a free-to-air live television audience in Ireland. This is one of the major sporting events being held in Ireland this year and we look forward to welcoming both Georgia Tech and Florida State University to Ireland for the 2024 game.”
The season-opener was live on TG4 and available live on the TG4 Player and App (Ireland only), anchored by Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill and Cuán Ó Flatharta from a pitch-side presentation position.
Independent company IRIS produces a range of sports for publisher-broadcaster TG4 including rugby, GAA, athletics, cycling and others. At the Aviva Stadium on match day-1, IRIS founder and executive producer Kieran Hartigan told SVG Europe: “It’s one of the biggest events that will happen in Dublin this year – and has been for the last number of years, if you look at the profile of the games that have been played. It generates a huge amount of interest here – but then typically on game day it has just fallen off a cliff because Irish audiences haven’t had access to the game itself.
TG4 sports anchor Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill and production team prepare for kick-off
“TG4 has always been about growing sports from a grass roots level up, in terms of audiences. It is a growing audience here and TG4 has traditionally looked at sports like this and they try to take it on to the next level, from an organic base. TG4 is obviously delighted to be able to bring this to terrestrial audiences for the first time. We’re anticipating a significant audience for it, given the amount of hype that is generated.
“But I would say that the approach we are taking on this, as our first foray into American Football, is one that recognises that we cannot compete with the likes of ESPN on either budgets or technological resources in relation to how we would present the game – particularly when the Irish audience is used to ESPN and ABC-style coverage.
“So we decided to strip it back and experience this event through a very Irish lens. Obviously an American broadcaster would take many more ad breaks than a public service broadcaster here, so as ESPN is in break our plan is to experience the spectacle through the eyes of a number of guests we have lined up, both in our pres position and in our pitch-side analysis position.
“It would be very similar to what the BBC has done in relation to All-Ireland GAA Finals being on network television, trying to make hurling and Gaelic football accessible to UK audiences by experiencing it with profile celebrities that they might know. We’re trying to do something similar here with American Football – while acknowledging that Irish audiences are probably further down the road in terms of familiarity with American Football as a sport and as a product.”
Host broadcaster camera isos boost TG4 production
“A huge benefit for us is that all of our work here is done with NEP and they are also the facilities provider for the host,” says Hartigan. “So we are effectively an add-on but we’ve come in with five cameras – our two pres cameras, a wireless camera pitch-side, a wireless ENG and a reverse personality camera in order to ensure we’re able to drive our own narrative through the show, as ESPN will obviously be following their own narrative. ESPN has been fantastic in giving us full access to isos on cameras we have selected including SpiderCam, which is a huge addition to any sports broadcast.
“What’s new for us on this is that our entire production is in NTSC 59.94. ESPN is doing that in 59.94p, native for the US, and as that hits the truck we’re going to convert to 59.94i and then we’re converting as it leaves the truck to 50i for broadcast on TG4.
“From our point of view, the ability to be able to iso off their cameras means we’re as well off keeping the entire production in 59.94 – so any VTs, titles and break bumpers we have developed during the week have been 59.94 and they will all be converted as they leave the truck [through a Grass Valley Alchemist Live system]. The ability to be able to plug into isos being offered by the host broadcaster makes it all worthwhile. There has been a lot of testing this week, but as I understand it, TG4 is quite happy with the signal they are receiving.”
He continues: “We’re taking the full multilateral feed from ESPN including graphics and commentary. Again that comes from the fact that we’re moving into this, so need to build out a credible base of analysts. In the first instance we go with the guys who know it best, and that’s the host broadcaster – with our Irish language pres happening around that. TG4 as you know has a twin approach with a national audience which is the core of habitual Irish-language speakers but also a general national audience mandate, and this, without doubt, is a national audience product.
“What’s new for us on this is that our entire production is in NTSC 59.94. ESPN is doing that in 59.94p, native for the US, and as that hits the truck we’re going to convert to 59.94i and then we’re converting as it leaves the truck to 50i for broadcast on TG4″
“So our primary pres position will be through Gaeilge and we have a number of very credible NFL analysts, guys who run their own podcasts who will be our pres guests, and then down on pitch-side we also have guys who run some quite high-profile podcasts. And we’ll be rotating in other guests, for example the Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who’s going to have a chat with us about the possibility of there being a full NFL game here in the future.
“It feels like a significant additional piece that hasn’t been there before. This is an event that obviously enjoys huge audiences in the US, yet heretofore has not been available to Irish audiences. It’s a constantly evolving property, and I have to say I think what the guys in corporate.ie have done alongside very progressive sponsors like Aer Lingus is exceptional, and we’re really happy to be able to add that further piece bringing it to Irish audiences and helping make it a very Irish event – rather than an Irish event for American audiences.”
“A lot of credit is due to Rónán Ó Coisdealbha, and that is acknowledged in the Irish sporting community. Rónán has taken a very proactive approach in identifying sports that he feels TG4 can play a part in developing for an Irish audience. In terms of how this all came about, it would have started with Rónán and he has been a key driver throughout,” says Hartigan.
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