So, what do you know about gaelic football and hurling? Not much? Well you’d better get clued up if you want to take advantage of the flood of bets that are sure to be offered after Sky Sport‘s recently announced three-year deal to show live matches from June 2014.
These are Ireland’s two most popular sports and an agreement is in place for weekly live coverage plus the All-Ireland semi-finals and finals from each code. The All-Ireland semi-finals and finals will be exclusively live in the UK, with 14 matches shown only in Ireland in a shared deal with Irish national broadcaster RTE. There will also be match reports, fixture lists and interviews as well as news, blogs, videos and galleries online, and matches will also be available to watch on mobile for the first time at no extra cost to Sky Sports subscribers via Sky Go.
Live coverage begins at Nowlan Park on June 7th with the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final between Kilkenny and Offaly so there will be plenty of time to study form – it’s another indication of Sky’s commitment to Ireland’s economy and their customers. The satellite broadcaster is reportedly investing over a billion euros in Ireland in the next five years and they now employ almost 1,000 people in the country. Kilkenny are the early favourites for the All-Ireland Hurling Championship at 3/1 with bet365, with Clare at 7/2 with Skybet and Stan James and Tipperary available at 6/1 with Boylesports and Paddy Power. Defending champions Dublin are very hot favourites to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship at a general 7/4. Indeed, they can already be backed at 15/2 to win this year and next as well with Ladbrokes. Croke Park will stage the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in August. Mayo, only beaten a point by the Dubs in last year’s All-Ireland Final, are 5/1 with Skybet and Stan James while Cork and Kerry are both a best 8/1.
