Setantas new sports channel...

[Slash/ED]

Copied and pastes from the Ultras messageboard so I've no idea where it came from originally......

NTL MEDIA RELEASE
16th June 2004

Setanta launch Ireland’s first dedicated Sports Channel – Setanta Sports
All ntl customers to receive channel

· Fifth Irish Television Channel to be launched in history of the state
· Live matches from the English & Scottish Premier Leagues
· Exclusive live rights for Rugby’s Celtic League
· Over 340,000 ntl customers to receive Setanta Sports from August 2004

Setanta today announced the launch of Ireland’s first dedicated sports channel, which will be
available from August 2004 and will broadcast to over 340,000 ntl customers as part of its
basic television package.

The new channel, called Setanta Sports, will broadcast live coverage of the English
Premiership, Scottish Premier League and will also have exclusive live rights to Rugby’s
Celtic League. More sports content will be added to the schedule and will be announced in due
course.

Setanta Sports will initially start broadcasting on a weekend basis in August in time for the
launch of the new sporting season. From January 2005, Setanta Sports will extend its
broadcast hours to include programming from Monday – Sunday inclusive.

Niall Cogley, Chief Executive, Setanta Sports said: “This new channel is a significant step
in the Irish broadcast market place. In a relatively short-time Setanta has acquired the
rights to top class sports programming, which has a direct relevance and appeal to a wide
audience in Ireland. Setanta has built up a significant broadcasting business over the last
14 years and looks forward to building on that with the launch of Setanta Sports. Our
partnership with ntl Ireland will enable us to deliver this unique channel to over 340,000
ntl homes.”

Today’s announcement establishes Setanta Sports, as Ireland’s fifth national channel, the
first indigenous Irish channel to enter the marketplace since the launch of TV3 in September
1998.

Mark Mohan, Sales & Marketing Director of ntl Ireland said: “This is a landmark day for the
broadcasting industry in Ireland. We are certain that Setanta Sports will be essential
viewing for Irish sporting fans. Today’s announcement enables our customers to benefit from
even more choice, confirming our commitment to deliver the best value from Ireland’s local
and trusted multichannel television operator.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

Setanta Sports

Setanta Sport is a world leader in providing premium sporting content through a number of
formats including closed circuit broadcasting, pay-per-view sporting events, online and
mobile telephony. The company operates through a number of distinct divisions, Setanta
Broadcasting, Setanta Media, Setanta Television and Setanta Screens.

Setanta Broadcasting is a significant force in acquiring international media rights and has
exclusive rights to the Scottish Premier League along with a number of other exclusive
sporting rights throughout the globe. It is also the world’s largest closed-circuit
broadcaster.

Setanta Media holds significant stakes in the franchises for some of Ireland’s newest radio
stations namely, Dublin’s Newstalk 106 and KCLR from Kilkenny/Carlow. It also has significant
new media interests and operates Ireland’s leading sports Web site www.setanta.com and
provides a range of premium sporting services through SMS to Vodafone. The vision’s
publishing arm also compiles a range of acclaimed sporting magazines.

Setanta Television produces over 200 hours of television annually and produces sporting
programmes for national broadcasters. Setanta Screens is Ireland’s largest provider of big
screens for sporting and entertainment events.

----------------------------------------------------------

This could be a big oppurtunity for the league. Here's a link to the contacts part of their webpage, here I think everyone here should send an E-mail or get in touch somehow and try and convince them to show EL matches. The ratings of last years matches on RTE beating that of their CL coverage, things like that should be mentioned. If we can convince them there's a market for the EL out there and that Setanta could get a nice little niche for themselves if they promote it with highlights and a decent amount of live games there's a good chance they could show it, afterall the channels only starting up so they'll be looking for things to show at the moment (see the bit in bold). Get in touch lads, it can't do any harm. Now's the time.

[Sheridan]

Get in touch lads, it can't do any harm. Now's the time.

Good idea, but look:

Niall Cogley, Chief Executive, Setanta Sports

No chance

[techs]

Setanta.com used to cover league games years ago but had problems with the fai and therefore stopped covering them..It was a great service for anyone on the net and they were more reliable than RTE,updates were nearly always spot on.They covered both divisions and had a report on each game..Since the fall out with the fai they never really mentioned domestic soccer,which was sad..

[pete]

Niall Cogley, Chief Executive, Setanta Sports

Exactly, mail campaigns didn't work on him before.

Interesting to see they got Celtic League Rugby rights now that Cogley (Rugby preference) is the Head there.

I'm guessing it can't be 100% pay per view as no ones gonna be paying for Celtic League Rugby. Setanat are clearly going to target the GAA matches which means either RTE will have to spend more to get them or will have more left to spend on other sports when they lose them.

IMO the future of irish sports broadcasting would probably be less exclusive rights i.e. RTE may show big GAA matches but Setanta for example would pick up some of those lesser qualifiers. May also be opportunitoes like that for the eL?

[tiktok]

Interesting to see they got Celtic League Rugby rights now that Cogley (Rugby preference) is the Head there

but that IMO is great news, now TG4 will have a friday night slot to fill, and we know they do decent coverage

[patsh]

but that IMO is great news, now TG4 will have a friday night slot to fill, and we know they do decent coverage

This is the main point here.
The FAI should already be in talks with TG4.
TG4 could do a really decent program, with a live game and a proper highlights show each week. If it gets the viewing figures, the main RTE channels or other channels would be interested.
It's really up to Rooney to show his interest in the league and to push the eL.
He has a chance to get some proper and serious coverage for the league, and the chance to build an audience.

[Slash/ED]

This is the main point here.
The FAI should already be in talks with TG4.
TG4 could do a really decent program, with a live game and a proper highlights show each week. If it gets the viewing figures, the main RTE channels or other channels would be interested.
It's really up to Rooney to show his interest in the league and to push the eL.
He has a chance to get some proper and serious coverage for the league, and the chance to build an audience.

Excellent point there lads, but is Setantas coverage of the Celtic League exclusive? If so, it's a definite oppurtunity for the league to get in discussions with TG4 who will have a slot to fill. Imo they should be talking to both Setanta and TG4 to see if they can get any kind of deal between them.

[drummerboy]

Heard Niall Cogley last night on Newstalk. 15 live Premiership matches at 3 oc on Saturday, RTE to broadcast premiership matches on alternative Saturdays, and it will be the top match of that particular day. Sentanta are also showing over 40 SPL matches live and the Celtic League. The service will be free of charge to all NTL Ireland Subscribers. And the catch … there doesn't seem to be any. I presume they will make their money through advertising. I'm sure the EL and Irish League must be fuming. I know certain pubs showed matches on Saturday illegally over the past couple of seasons but now practially everyone will have access.

[tiktok]

showed matches on Saturday illegally

How was it illegal?

[drummerboy]

This guy in Ballymun used to hack into some foreign stations. The publicans used to pay him to set things up for them. There was a german commentary which was turned down.

[tiktok]

Most of the pubs i've visited use what i thought was Astra satellite dish to pick up usually norwegian or Turkish TV signals who have roghts to the game.

If they have rights to show the game, and you pay to have the rights to show their channels in your pub, then it's not illegal is it??

[Macy]

Most of the pubs i've visited use what i thought was Astra satellite dish to pick up usually norwegian or Turkish TV signals who have roghts to the game.

If they have rights to show the game, and you pay to have the rights to show their channels in your pub, then it's not illegal is it??

Not sure of technicalities, but I know they were trying to do the pubs in England for broadcasting it. There's a few foreign channels that have all the sky games, plus a Saturday afternoon game, free to air. You just need a big enough dish to receive them.

[Macy]

I'm sure the EL and Irish League must be fuming.

I thought the Irish League was threatening to go to court to block this, particularly with the RTE overlap?

[Macy]

Someone from the Bohs MB mailed Setanta, and got an answer here

[tiktok]

top class.

[liam88]

Will this be on Sky Digital as well?
We get Setanta PPV1 and PPV2 , I'm guessing these are different.....
They showed Hurling and Gaelic football last season which was grand because living in England we don't normally get Gaelic games.
Anyway I saved up my £50 for a Gaelic season ticket on there nly to find they don't seem to be shwoing them this season

[jofyisgod]

Will this be on Sky Digital as well?

Here's hoping!

They showed Hurling and Gaelic football last season which was grand because living in England we don't normally get Gaelic games.
Anyway I saved up my £50 for a Gaelic season ticket on there nly to find they don't seem to be shwoing them this season

I think they are. Take a look at their site (setanta.com) go on GAA and schedules.They're doing th MSHC Final on 27th AFAIK.
Sky Sports are showing 'Gaelic Games' at the mo too. On tonight at eight in fact. VEry good, slightly Ulster dominated though.

[Slash/ED]

That's brilliant news, lets just keep hopeing I suppose. No doubt the FAI will consipire to **** it up but with a bit of luck this could be a real fantastic development for the league.

[patsh]

Cogley was on the Last Word today. I sent a text, and others too I'd say, about showing eL.
Cogley said something along the lines that they are looking at different sources for content and would certainly be looking at the eL.
Some hope there at least, but he did say Celtic league was an exclusive rights deal, so TG4 looks like it might have an opening on Friday nights....

[CollegeTillIDie]

I think TG4 is the way forward. Apart from anything else they used to cover Spanish soccer and have experience of covering the game if not the EL.

And besides we might get some chants as Gaeilge on the terrace over the years... mar shampla

Dha nad do na buachailli / dha nad do na buachailli


Anyway after cuig seasur le TG4 we will all be speaking Gaeilge while the GAA followers will be speaking English.... oh the ironic possibilties of us so called "foreign game" followers being more fluent than the bogball fraternity in the official teanga .