Derry PRO outlines county's live streaming challenges but promises best is yet to come

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions had already ensured 2020 would be an unique GAA season for both players and supporters but as a gradual easing of regulations saw games return, ensuring members and fans access to championship matches was one of the major conundrums facing county boards all over Ireland. It was a problem that was to yield an unexpected and welcome windfall for GAA supporters though, as counties across Ireland - Derry among them - took on the challenge of streaming club games live.

The service has proved a lifeline for those shielding from the coronavirus or unable to secure limited tickets, but it has not been immune to criticism with Kerry PRO, Leona Twiss, last week forced to take to Twitter last week to defend herself and her Co. Board after technical issues with one of their games, a service she reminded detractors is being provided by volunteers.

It's a scenario McRory can fully appreciate as he and his hard working team prepare for the business end of the Derry club championship season and nine more live matches to plan, beginning this weekend in Celtic Park with the ladies senior football and senior hurling finals.

"For us, we have a bit of pride in producing as good a stream as possible," explained McRory, "We try to have high standards in terms of not only the stream itself but also the commentators, replays, analysis, etc, and that makes the production value pretty good we feel. You can't do that flippantly, there's a fair bit of work behind it all.

"It has been a completely unique year. I don't think any of us were expecting to have to take this on and if you look at our digital team - and I would stress that there is a very hard working team of volunteers behind the scenes - we are fortunate to have so many with an IT background.

"We are not experts but many other counties may not have that level of expertise as readily available. We have volunteers working very hard, like the County Chairman, Stephen Barker .

"Stephen works in IT engineering and has actually gone to Celtic Park himself and installed new routers to ensure the broadband is secured, protected and cabled so we don't have to go down the 4g route. That's the sort of thing going on behind the scenes. There are probably not too many county chairmen in Ireland who are taking on that kind of work but that's the stuff people are doing to get our games out to the county in this unique situation."

McRory has nothing but sympathy for counties experiencing difficulties. One of the usual questions directed at the Derry team has concerned why the live service has been limited to only three grounds to date, with all remaining games set to be streamed from Celtic Park. It is a decision, McRory explains, is born from necessity rather than desire.

"You can't just rock up at any ground in the county and produce a broadcast," he adds, "Most venues are not up to it. We have been round a good number of grounds in Derry checking what the broadband speeds are, what the 4g speeds are, and they are not up to it. We need 5mbps plus upload speed.

"When looking at any broadcast, there are a certain number of things that are within our control. We know, for example, that you cannot rely on 4g networks in certain areas of the county. We have to make sure we have a strong, protected broadband at the venue in order to provide a high quality stream because 4g is relatively sparse across the county.

"We carried out quite extensive research into the different connectivity levels at various grounds across Derry and it's sparse, especially in rural grounds where you cannot rely on 4g. That becomes even worse if there is any sort of crowd at the fixture. For example, if there were 500 people at the fixture, that would dilute the network coverage even further.

"The 4g aspect is totally out of our hands so we have to control what we can control which is making sure we have decent, secured broadband. We also need height in order to give viewers a decent vantage point. That's why Celtic Park is ideal."

McRory said the team had been delighted to take in live games at both Bellaghy and Magherafelt but revealed there were connectivity and infrastructure issues which presented considerable challenges at both venues.

"In Magherafelt, without wanting to get too technical, we were relying on a combination of the broadband and 4g to get that stream out and, as I said, once you bring 4g into it that takes away a lot of your control. You are relying on a service you can't control and a number of things can affect it in the surrounding area.

"Whilst it was useful for us for those first few games, absolutely it was and the two clubs couldn't do enough for us, we've been learning as we go along and 4g coverage is not something you'd want to be relying on for the really big knockout games.

"Look at next week's game, Glen versus Slaughtneil, that's one of the biggest games in Derry so we want something reliable and Celtic Park would be our most reliable set-up in terms of broadcast capability.

"We did the game at Bellaghy but we had to erect scaffolding and other apparatus for that game which again shows there are plenty of logistics and planning that goes into it. Again, it's all aimed at giving those watching the best and most reliable stream possible. From that point of view we will probably be leaning on Celtic Park in terms of live broadcasts going forward.

"Even with Owenbeg, the fibre optic in the Owenbeg area wouldn't be enough to support a live stream. That's something we are planning on addressing in the coming months but right now we couldn't rely on it, especially if there is a crowd of up to 500 people at the game."

With four games under their belts to date, the Derry operation has been one of the most polished in the country, providing commentary, replays and expert analysis from the likes of Derry manager, Rory Gallagher and former Ballinderry star, Conleth Gilligan. And despite teething problems in some counties, McRory believes the past month has highlighted the appetite for live club games though he believes work remains if it is to become a long term addition in counties across the country.

"It has been a good challenge for us but it's been enjoyable to do," adds the Derry PRO, "It has been a worthy experiment. We've created a good platform but would it be worth doing next year if crowds were allowed back? I don't know, I'm not sure, because it is a lot of effort from a lot of people.

"People have been going into it blind to an extent and expecting the 4g and whatever else to work but if this was to become a viable long-term option, there's a body of work for the GAA as a whole to do, for the different units within the GAA to ensure there is adequate broadband at more venues.

"That will never be viable at every ground but you need to ensure every county has a few grounds, not just the nominated county ground, where the broadband is modern, secure, protected and provides the option to broadcast if we need to."