Sports Rights: English Premier League 2007/8 2009/2010

DMC · 09-05-2006 04:19PM

What has happened for the pub trade is that Sky and Setanta have agreed that Sky will collect the revenue for Setanta, so pubs don't have to worry about that side of things (that is if they are not worrying already at a price hike!)

An outline of a carriage deal is one that is agreed between Sky and another broadcaster, for Sky to let the other broadcasters channel on the Sky EPG and/or NDS encryption. All channels that have a channel number on the Sky digibox EPG have paid Sky something, you pay an awful lot extra if you want your channel encrypted. Setanta have seven channels already on the Sky EPG, and all are encrypted. You can bet your bottom euro that Setanta will be encrypted when the new deal starts.

Also, Setanta have an opening that Sky do not have. A slot on Freeview (DTT), on the TopUp TV, so they are not exclusively on Sky. And, of course, NTL negotiated a sweet deal for cable viewers over here, before Liberty took over the Irish end.

flogen · 09-05-2006 06:18PM

So you mean that for residential customers they'll still have to pay to see setanta even if they have Sky Sports/Sky Digital?

And I thought these rights didn't apply to Ireland, so the deal NTL have with Setanta won't matter much (unless Setanta get the Irish rights too)

channelsurfer · 09-05-2006 06:32PM

i think it means that sky will take the revenue from the pubs ie if it costs 4000 for sky sports then add another 300 or something like that on for setanta but instead of paying setanta the pub will just be billed by sky on their normal sky bill for sky sports.

the irish rights are still to be given out but yes you could have setanta winning 6 out of 7 packages for ireland or sky leaving maybe rte would just the saturday 3pm one if they are lucky.

as for setantas coverage its awful you just have to look at the celtic league they are showing now with 2 guys in a studio in dublin talking over S4C's commentry and not in widescreen even though it is in widescreen on S4C

Mossy Monk · 09-05-2006 06:47PM

Setantas coverage is indeed awful. it is the only thing i despise about them

will there be multiple packages available for Ireland this time? and not just Saturday 3pm

channelsurfer · 09-05-2006 07:18PM

yes same as the uk with a 7 package as well the 3pm saturday kickoff. Same rules as well . No one broadcaster can win all 7 packages. According to the sunday independent interest will be keener than the uk with tv3 tg4 sky setanta maybe upc (via the chorus sports channel) bidding as well as sky.

Mossy Monk · 09-05-2006 07:38PM

i expect the same situation as the UK then with Setanta also picking up the 3pm games

DMC · 09-05-2006 08:17PM

flogen wrote:

So you mean that for residential customers they'll still have to pay to see setanta even if they have Sky Sports/Sky Digital?

What they have done, as channelsurfer correctly said, is simplified the billing for pubs, and are looking to do a similar deal for residential.

flogen wrote:

And I thought these rights didn't apply to Ireland, so the deal NTL have with Setanta won't matter much (unless Setanta get the Irish rights too)

The only rights we are discussing are the UK rights, as thats all thats been given out, so far. What I'm suggesting as highly likely (to nigh on dead cert), is that Setanta will get Premier League packages for the Irish market, and looking at what Setanta have done over here. The deal between Setanta and NTL in Ireland was done before NTL Ireland was sold off, so they are likely to be on good terms with the current NTL UK owners.

byte · 09-05-2006 09:44PM

This is rather mad!

Does this mean that the Sky Sports as we currently know it, will have programming differences between ROI and UK?

channelsurfer · 09-05-2006 10:02PM

that is quite possible. althought 20 to 30milion for irish rights would be very little to sky to pick up whereas setanta are overstrectched as it is paying over the odds for their uk package.

DMC · 10-05-2006 07:34AM

Just to put it into perspectve, the Guardian came up with these figures.... The present deal equates to £2.46m per match on Sky. The new UK deal equals £4.76m per game for Sky while for Setanta, its £2.82m a game.

**boggle**

Rizzo the Rat · 10-05-2006 07:48AM

7 packages for ROI?? This can't be right. So what you are saying is that after the 7 packages are awarded for ROI we could have a 4pm game on a Sunday being shown on Sky Sports in the UK and the same game encryted on Sky Sports in ROI and been shown on TV3 or Setanta here??
Surely 3pm games on Saturdays are the only ones up for grabs here as these do not clash/compete with Sky Sports.

DMC · 10-05-2006 08:10AM

No. Lets be utterly clear on this.

Last Friday, the UK only rights for the Premiership were handed out. The Ireland rights have not been yet. The Premier League will hand out packages for the Irish market, based on the 6 bundles of 23, plus the added 7th, 3pm Saturday, which is an Irish-only extra.

Your scenario of a UK sub Sky Sports showing the 4pm Sunday game, while on an Irish sub, its free on RTÉ or TV3 is entirely possible (though remote, imho)

What is clear, is that we don't know yet what channels will be showing what packages, based on who wins what packages for the Irish market, and could be a good deal different than what the UK viewers get.

Confusion reigns!

byte · 10-05-2006 08:26PM

I struggle to see how this is good for the consumer....

Mossy Monk · 10-05-2006 08:56PM

byte wrote:

I struggle to see how this is good for the consumer....

short answer is, it isnt

the EU should have made a guarantee that a free channel gets games too. as it stands people have to pay for 2 sports channels now to watch all the games

mikeym · 15-05-2006 11:39AM

I was excited by all the hype from the newspapers saying that setanta have got more premier league coverage but its only the uk rights

.
Uk sky sports subscribers shouldnt be to unhappy they get 92 live matches and the pick of the best games.
I hope Rte get the 3pm Saturday games its a shame they wont have the heineken cup, its the champions league of rugby!

Sports Rights: English Premier League 2007/8 2009/2010

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