By Ciaran Woods

c.woods@gaeliclife.com

ULSTER viewers could miss out on televised coverage of the key All-Ireland qualifiers due to TV3 gaining first refusal on the plum ties in each round of the 'back door' qualifier system.

For the first time, the Ulster football final will not be broadcast on RTE, with TV3 also taking that game as one of their chosen ties, but viewers in the North have been saved by the fact that a deal had been brokered on their behalf to ensure the Ulster final would be available to all live on BBC.

BBC will cover the provincial football final and it is hoped at least five other Ulster Championship ties in what is set to be a bumper season for GAA viewers in the North.

Under the terms of the arrangements first announced in February, the BBC will show live each of the games being broadcast by RTE. Negotiations are ongoing between BBC, RTE, the Ulster Council and Croke Park, with the hope that a situation can be reached where all Ulster championship games will be broadcast live on BBC.

TV3 unveilled this week that they had secured the rights to three provincial finals, namely the Ulster and Connacht football finals and the Leinster hurling final. That's one final more than they expected, with RTE believed to have stepped aside in the race for the Ulster decider safe in the knowledge that it would be shown by BBC.

Where TV3's coverage could well impact on Ulster fans is by the fact that the independent broadcaster has secured first pick for all three rounds of the All-Ireland qualifiers. Should one of the Ulster 'big guns' exit the Ulster championship at an early stage, then it could well be that it is their match-up which TV3 will latch on to for coverage, meaning that less than half of homes in the North will be able to view the game.

However, that's a fact that TV3 will be well aware of, and the chances are that they would only pick a tie involving an Ulster side if it's a game which will also appeal to a wider audience.