# Arena with Maurice Brosnan:  RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett on GAA TV rights, Champions League coverage and punditry

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/arena-with-maurice-brosnan-7783423/arena-with-maurice-brosnan-rt-head-of-sport-declan-mcbennett-on-gaa-tv-rights-champions-league-coverage-and-punditry
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/arena-with-maurice-brosnan-7783423/arena-with-maurice-brosnan-rt-head-of-sport-declan-mcbennett-on-gaa-tv-rights-champions-league-coverage-and-punditry.md
Podcast: [Arena with Maurice Brosnan](https://stenobird.com/podcast/arena-with-maurice-brosnan-7783423)
Published: 2026-05-06T15:21:13+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/the-arena-podcast-with-maurice-brosnan/episodes/69fb5c69921510d4c1881512
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69b2f7a991324664df7ca1ab/e/69fb5c69921510d4c1881512/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3101

## Resource

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett to discuss the recent announcement that the broadcaster will remain in the Irish market for Champions League coverage. He explains why free-to-air television remains vital for sport, how decisions are made around which events are broadcast, and the challenges of balancing audience demand with commercial realities. We also examine RTÉ’s coverage of Gaelic games, including a defence of its punditry and the role analysis plays in shaping the viewing experience. Finally, we look to the future of live sport: should the priority be the in-stadium experience or the needs of the television audience? Arena , a new podcast from the Irish Examiner, offers weekly deep dives into Irish sport. Listen for free on the Irish Examiner website or wherever you get your podcasts. Get in touch with Maurice at maurice.brosnan@examiner.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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