THE popularity of dodgy boxes is having a “direct hit” on the GAA’s finances as people are illegally streaming games instead of signing up for GAA+, a Dail watchdog heard today.
Officials from the GAA+ streaming service appeared before the Oireachtas Media Committee today to give their take on new laws that will govern media in Ireland.
Almost half a million people in Ireland use a dodgy box, it’s been found[/caption]
The Broadcasting Amendment Bill will force RTE to spend 25 per cent of its funding on independent productions, ensure greater transparency on spending and extend its remit beyond TV and radio to include podcasts and websites.
The legislation will also create the possibility of a new content production levy or ‘Netflix Levy’ which would be imposed on streaming companies operating in Ireland in order to raise funding for Irish productions.
However, Arts Minister Patrick O’Donovan has vowed that he will not introduce this levy while he is in charge due to concerns that it will push up the price of subscriptions for users.
Head of GAA+ Noel Quinn told the Dail committee that if a levy is introduced in the future, then smaller organisations like the GAA streaming service should be treated differently than giants such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
He said that the introduction, timing and collection of any levy should reflect each platform’s scale and resources instead of one size fits all.
The GAA+ boss noted that any levy would likely have a knock on impact on the price of streaming subscriptions and hurt consumers.
In a briefing document provided to the Committee, the GAA Plus boss raised concerns about the prevalence of “dodgy boxes” that are being used to illegally stream games.
Dodgy boxes enable people to access a range of content and TV channels from across the globe illegally by streaming them online through a specific device and app.
GAA+ told the Dail watchdog that it is estimated that half a million people use dodgy boxes in Ireland and the prevalence is having a direct hit on their subscriber growth potential.
The briefing document said: “On the topic of regulation and while it is not directly related to the Revised General Scheme, it would be remiss to make a submission linked to the Irish broadcast sector without raising the major issue of piracy.
“Copyright infringement and intellectual property theft remains a damning thorn in the side of official bodies and requires immediate and serious collective action.
“The proliferation of ‘dodgy boxes’, which experts conservatively estimate to be in the region of 500,000 in Ireland, is a direct hit to the GAA’s potential subscription revenue earning power – a key pillar of its commercial arm that seeks to reinvest 82 per cent of all profits to grassroots clubs, counties and provinces – and merits sustained regulation and consequential policing of the offenders by the highest authorities in conjunction with the effected parties.”
