Setanta Sports News was a production of the Virgin Media Television network and Setanta Sports. Launched in November 2007, this channel became 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 situated in UK and Ireland. A free channel available via satellite tv and in addition 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 platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately 12 months following the channel launch, it had been decided that this channel required a new look. Thus came the new look in 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 experiment with its looks and format structure over the year incorporating smaller changes to really make it popular with the viewers.
Setanta Sports was thriving as being 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 idea of the Irishmans love 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 United States, 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 more than a decade, Setanta Sports began facing financial hardships. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain used to get broadcast just as Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation in 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 followed by a loss of a number 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 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 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 in the USA PGA golf tour along with other championships including Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.