Growth and slide regarding the Setanta Sports News channel
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 on the success of Setanta Sports and attempted to capture the sports news viewers based in UK and Ireland. A free channel available via satellite tv and in addition 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 particular platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately 12 months after the channel launch, it was decided that this channel required a different look. Thus came the brand new look of the show with a widescreen format, headlines were run in the bottom entire 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 really 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 through an idea of the Irishmans love for sport, this channel targeted 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 following a successful run for over a decade, Setanta Sports began facing financial difficulties. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in the UK used to get broadcast just like 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 get co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Due to this alteration of fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. This was also accompanied 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 in 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 have been several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland had been looked at 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 United States, are licensed from 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 to the live broadcasting in the USA PGA golf tour and other championships including Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.