Growth and slide 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 Round-the-clock sports news provider for Setanta Sports. Setanta Sports News capitalized around the success of Setanta Sports and attempted to capture the sports news viewers based in UK and Ireland. A totally free channel available via satellite television and also available online, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even though Sky Sports News became a part of Virgin Media television, Setanta Sports remained with this particular platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately a year after the channel launch, it was decided that the channel required a different look. Thus came the brand new look in the show using a widescreen format, headlines were run in the bottom length of the screen and many other smaller yet significant changes. The channel however continued to test out its looks and format structure across the year incorporating smaller changes to make it popular with the viewers.
Setanta Sports was doing very well as being a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sporting events from its station based in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed with an idea of the Irishmans passion for sport, this channel aimed at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They’ve got a group of individual channels that operate in the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Africa and broadcast sporting events such as hurling, golf, Gaelic football, association football, American football, horse racing, boxing, rugby union and darts.
However after a successful run for over a decade, Setanta Sports began facing financial difficulties. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain used to get broadcast just as 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 get co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Because of this change in fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. This 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 in 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 have been several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland was being looked over with interest by music producer Dennis Desmond.
Following the ownership change both of the Setanta Channels, the one in Ireland as well as the one in the USA, are licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. These broadcast rights include airing of club football from counties such as Germany, France, Ireland, Brazil and Netherlands, national football games, rugby union games, rugby league games, exclusive rights for the live broadcasting in the USA PGA golf tour and other championships including Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.