Derry City boss Declan Devine excited about new League of Ireland streaming service

The Football Association of Ireland will meet with League of Ireland clubs tomorrow afternoon (Friday) to discuss the finer details of the new streaming platform for the remainder of the 2020 Airtricity League campaign.

It’s understood that GAA GO, a streaming app used to show GAA games overseas, will be used to broadcast live matches as part of an agreement reached between the FAI and RTE.

The league is set to resume on July 31st with Derry City kicking off the truncated 18 game season at home to Sligo Rovers at 5.45p.m. behind closed doors.

However, fans across the country and beyond will be able to tune in to watch the Candy Stripes and Devine believes it can only be good for the game with teams under pressure to perform.

“I think with the streaming service everyone is talking about, it gives a chance for everyone in the country to be watching the games,” said the City boss.

“That’s a plus. There will be a lot of opinions, a lot of fans’ forums talking about the games, a lot of social media aspect from it.

“So performances will be key as a lot of people throughout the country are going to have an opinion on how you play and what you’ve done well and haven’t done well.”

Premier Division fixtures will be scheduled across Friday, Saturday and Sunday for broadcast purposes which gives people the opportunity to watch every game.

“So while there won’t be a lot of bodies around the stadium, there will be lots of people watching the matches which is good - that’s what you want. It will give the league good coverage and give everyone the opportunity to see every game.

“You have to understand that there may be 20,000 watching on a stream as opposed to 3,000 in a stand so we all have a role to play in getting ourselves right.”

The costs involved and the availability and production of the streaming has yet to be confirmed.

When contacted last night an FAI spokesperson stated: ‘there will be no comment on the matter at this time’.

Those issues will no doubt become clearer following this afternoon’s meeting with clubs, however, it was suggested that there will be two packages offered for the remainder of the season which will cover league games and some FAI Cup matches.

A domestic pass is understood to cost E55 for those based in Ireland and a pass for overseas customers would cost E69 while eir Sport and RTE will be screening selected matches live.

Indeed, Derry’s home meeting with leaders Shamrock Rovers on Sunday, August 9th will be broadcast live on eir Sport and the Candy Stripes’ clash with champions Dundalk will be screened live on RTE on Friday, September 4th.

Devine is looking forward to returning to Brandywell Stadium at the end of the month but is bracing himself for a very different matchday experience.

“When we do go back to Brandywell we’ve got to make sure we use it to our advantage because we will train there on a daily basis with nobody in the stadium,” he confirmed.

“We’re fortunate we will be training in a stadium where we play our games and it will be a very similar atmosphere with the quietness and calmness, so we have to use that to our advantage.

“It’s going to be completely different to anything we’ve ever experienced before.

“It’s a very tough start with Sligo coming to Brandywell, away to St Pat’s three days later and then four days later at home to Shamrock Rovers who have been the in-form team so far in this campaign.

“It’s a very difficult start but a start, having been out for so long with no matches, the players are really looking forward to it.”

Three games in the opening eight days is something we should look forward to and not complain too much about it because it’s been so long since we’ve had those high intensity games.”