Growth and fall of the Setanta Sports News channel
Setanta Sports News was a creation of the Virgin Media Television network and Setanta Sports. Launched in November 2007, this channel was a 24 hour sports news provider for Setanta Sports. Setanta Sports News capitalized on the success of Setanta Sports and tried to capture the sports news viewers based in UK and Ireland. A totally free channel available via satellite television and in addition available online, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even when Sky Sports News became a part of Virgin Media television, Setanta Sports remained with this platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately a year after the channel launch, it had been decided that the channel required a new look. Thus came the new look of the show with a widescreen format, headlines were run at the bottom entire screen and many more smaller yet significant changes. The channel however continued to test out its looks and format structure over the year incorporating smaller changes to really make it popular with the viewers.
Setanta Sports was thriving as a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sports entertainment from the station based in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed with an understanding of the Irishmans love for sport, this channel aimed at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They’ve got a set of individual channels that operate in the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Africa and broadcast sporting events including hurling, golf, Gaelic football, association football, American football, horse racing, boxing, rugby union and darts.
However after a successful run for over ten years, Setanta Sports began facing financial hardships. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain used to get broadcast just like Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation during 2009 because of financial issues and insufficiency of funds. The ownership of Setanta Sports Channel Ireland limited changed. The channel then went on to be co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Because of this change in fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. It was also accompanied by a loss of a number of jobs. However parts of Setanta Sports continued broadcasting sports events in Ireland, Canada, USA and Australia. The only hiccup was that some content remained affected due to the closure of the operations in the UK.
Setanta Sports continued to be in the news for the various reports that continued to brew regarding its alteration of ownership and prospective buying proposals. There were several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland was being looked at with interest by music producer Dennis Desmond.
Following a ownership change each of the Setanta Channels, the one in Ireland and the one in the USA, are licensed from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. These broadcast rights include airing of club football from counties including Germany, France, Ireland, Brazil and Netherlands, national football games, rugby union games, rugby league games, exclusive rights to the live broadcasting of the USA PGA golf tour along with other championships such as Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.
