Progress and fall regarding 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 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 based in UK and Ireland. A free channel available via satellite tv and also available online, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even though 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 a year following the channel launch, it had been decided that the channel required a different look. Thus came the brand new look of the show using a widescreen format, headlines were run at 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 attractive to the viewers.
Setanta Sports was thriving as being a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sports entertainment from its station located in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed through an understanding of the Irishmans passion for sport, this channel targeted 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 following a successful run for over ten years, Setanta Sports began facing financial difficulties. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain 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 be co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Because of this alteration of fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. This was also accompanied by a loss of a range 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 remained in the news for the various reports that continued to brew regarding its change in 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 a ownership change each of the Setanta Channels, the one in Ireland as well as 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 and other championships including Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.