Clare hurling star Shane O'Donnell has claimed he has a problem with GAAGO using his image to sell games in the sport without his consent.
GAAGO is a streaming service for GAA fans that has come under intense fire for not showing a number of games in the sport that, in previous years, would have been available on RTÉ, the state broadcaster and co-owner of GAAGO.
Big players in GAA, like Dónal Óg Cusack, have made their feelings known about the platform, and two-time All-Ireland winner O'Donnell has become the latest GAA star to express concerns with the service.
The Éire Óg player has claimed that the service has been using his image, name, and likeness to promote unpopular campaigns that he isn’t fond of.
O'Donnell says he is now in talks with the Gaelic Players Association to try and solve the matter.
“I’m working with the GPA at the moment on this—name, image, and likeness have been mentioned," said the Clare star this week on the GAA Social Podcast
“It really is about having a bit more control over your image. My understanding is I don’t. I’ll give you an example.
Shane O'Donnell, Podge Collins, and Peter Duggan (Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile via Getty Images)“GAAGO, obviously last year, was not a particularly popular initiative, and one that I personally didn’t agree with.
“I didn’t think it should have been selling games. I think they should just be swallowing the cost of promoting the game and paying to televise these games. I don’t think that’s something major, out of their budget."
O'Donnell also added that he and the other players in question were not even asked about the promotion of the unpopular campaigns.
“The bottom line is, I don’t agree with it, and then I see on the GAAGO website all year that they’re selling the season pass with myself and three other players—just right above the part where it says 'buy for x amount of euro,'" he added.
“To anyone, you could think that we’re endorsing that or have given our explicit consent to be put up there. That’s just not the case. We weren’t even asked.”
Although O'Donnell is clearly frustrated with his image being used without consent, he admits it would be better to have a conversation with the GAA regarding the topic instead of offering no solutions to the problem and slamming the organisation.
“It feels like there needs to be some agreement, and it’s probably a conversation we need to have with the GAA. To be fair to them, they are not here to give their perspective either.
“I don’t want to stamp over that and interpret what they would say. It is just to have a conversation with them and be like, 'Okay, how can we come to an agreement?"
