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 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 on the internet, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even when Sky Sports News became an integral part of Virgin Media television, Setanta Sports remained with this platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately 12 months after the channel launch, it was decided that the channel required a new look. Thus came the brand new look of the show with 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 over the year incorporating smaller changes to make it attractive to the viewers.
Setanta Sports was doing very well as 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 understanding of the Irishmans love for sport, this channel aimed at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They have 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 ten years, Setanta Sports began facing financial hardships. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in the UK used to be broadcast just as Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation in 2009 due to 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. It was also accompanied by a loss of a range of jobs. However portions 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 remained 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 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 United States, 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 for the live broadcasting in the USA PGA golf tour and other championships such as Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.