[article] Setanta on NTL Digital soon?

mike65

This is promising for live sport -


From Sunday Times

IF YOU can’t get enough live sport on television, then you’ll be pleased to know there’s a lot more on the way. Setanta, the Dublin-based sports broadcaster, is planning to launch a full-time sports channel in Ireland in late summer.

The largely subscription-based Setanta took a big step towards this goal last week by poaching Niall Cogley, RTE’s head of television sport, as chief executive of the new station. Cogley played a central role in negotiating RTE’s sporting rights in recent years and this experience could stand the fledgling station in good stead if, as predicted, Setanta makes a run for domestic GAA rights, which are due to be renegotiated in the next year or so. Setanta already holds the worldwide rights to the GAA...

It is understood that Setanta is in talks with NTL and Sky with a view to being carried as part of their digital packages. The company recently secured the rights to next month’s Unity Cup, the London-based tri-nation soccer tournament featuring the Republic of Ireland, Jamaica and Nigeria. Ireland’s games will be shown on a pay-per-view basis on NTL and Sky digital for either €9.99 per game or €16.99 for the package.

Setanta agreed a four-year deal recently for the rights to show live Scottish Premier League soccer from next season. It also holds the American rights to Euro 2004, the Uefa Cup and Champion’s League, the FA Cup and Six Nations rugby.

Mike.

celticfc

With Setanta's regular prices, I don't see me using it very much. 'Twas the worst decision ever for the SPL to sell the rights to them.

Round Cable

Originally posted by celticfc
'Twas the worst decision ever for the SPL to sell the rights to them.

Agreed

Harry2001

Hopefully for the sake of the smaller Scottish clubs it won't turn into another ITV Digital debacle that crippled a lot of Nationwide clubs when that went belly up.

Guy:Incognito

They got the guy that does the negotiations for RTE. They do realise he lost the Irish games to sky(K, may have been RTE not stumping up the cash, but hey)


Will it still be PPV?

celticfc

Originally posted by Stekelly
Will it still be PPV?

yes

channelsurfer

setanta are a complete waste of time.. if you think sky is bad.. then just think all the free sport you now get on rte.. if this setanta thing happens then it will mean you will be lucky to see tiddlywinks on rte cos setanta will outbid rte on every count and will fleece ya for every cent ya have..

Go Figure!

Originally posted by channelsurfer
setanta are a complete waste of time.. if you think sky is bad.. then just think all the free sport you now get on rte.. if this setanta thing happens then it will mean you will be lucky to see tiddlywinks on rte cos setanta will outbid rte on every count and will fleece ya for every cent ya have..

I couldn't agree more, I think Setanta's arrival on the market is a very sinister development for Irish Sports fans who like to watch their sport for free.

LegacyUser

I'm confused. According to the following press release from NTL, Setanta will be part of the basic analogue package from August. How can matches be PPV then?



> MEDIA RELEASE
> 16th June 2004
>
>
>
> Setanta launch Ireland's first dedicated Sports Channel - Setanta Sports
> All ntl customers to receive channel
>
> * Fifth Irish Television Channel to be launched in history of the
> state
> * Live matches from the English & Scottish Premier Leagues
> * Exclusive live rights for Rugby's Celtic League
> * Over 340,000 ntl customers to receive Setanta Sports from August
> 2004
>
>
> Setanta today announced the launch of Ireland's first dedicated sports
> channel, which will be available from August 2004 and will broadcast to
> over 340,000 ntl customers as part of its basic television package.
>
> The new channel, called Setanta Sports, will broadcast live coverage of
> the English Premiership, Scottish Premier League and will also have
> exclusive live rights to Rugby's Celtic League. More sports content will
> be added to the schedule and will be announced in due course.
>
> Setanta Sports will initially start broadcasting on a weekend basis in
> August in time for the launch of the new sporting season. From January
> 2005, Setanta Sports will extend its broadcast hours to include
> programming from Monday - Sunday inclusive.
>
> Niall Cogley, Chief Executive, Setanta Sports said: "This new channel is a
> significant step in the Irish broadcast market place. In a relatively
> short-time Setanta has acquired the rights to top class sports
> programming, which has a direct relevance and appeal to a wide audience in
> Ireland. Setanta has built up a significant broadcasting business over
> the last 14 years and looks forward to building on that with the launch of
> Setanta Sports. Our partnership with ntl Ireland will enable us to
> deliver this unique channel to over 340,000 ntl homes."
>
> Today's announcement establishes Setanta Sports, as Ireland's fifth
> national channel, the first indigenous Irish channel to enter the
> marketplace since the launch of TV3 in September 1998.
>
> Mark Mohan, Sales & Marketing Director of ntl Ireland said: "This is a
> landmark day for the broadcasting industry in Ireland. We are certain
> that Setanta Sports will be essential viewing for Irish sporting fans.
> Today's announcement enables our customers to benefit from even more
> choice, confirming our commitment to deliver the best value from Ireland's
> local and trusted multichannel television operator."
> ENDS
>
>
>
> ntl Ireland
> From August 2004, ntl Ireland's basic television package will consist of
> 17 top television channels including: Setanta Sports, RTE One, Network 2,
> TV3, TG4, BBC1, BBC2, UTV, Ch4, E4, MTV, TMF, Sky One, Sky News,
> Nickelodeon, Discovery & CNBC.
> For more information, please visit www.ntl.ie

Round Cable

Excellant News!:)

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Round Cable
Excellant News!:)

yes it is and on analogue too

celticfc

Best news I've heard all year. (For some reason though I'm sceptical)


If it does prove to be true, I shall *never slag of ntl or Setanta again.

(*never - for a little while anyway)

Round Cable

I've just been thinking about it, Sky are going to be pissed by this, think of the subscriptions to Sky Sports that they'll loose because of it and hence the reason it will not be on Sky Digital.

NORMAL CABLE

Sports fans are entitled to have what they want even if this channel will have (120 second) ads every 11 minutes......more, more and more again.

So now we find that ntl is putting out another tv channel on another valuable analogue frequency and at the same time this company is rushing to ingratiate itself with Comreg in handing back frequencies....
eventhough it has 'howled' over the years on the dearth of frequencies available to it.
And how much is Setanta paying ntl?
When will ntl raise the basic price to 240/250 euros per year? There is so such thing as a free dinner as a former director of Cork Communications (Cable tv) said to me years ago while having dinner in his home. Anyway ntl does NOT need any permission to raise prices.

How many of you would like to see further sports ?
Seek a normal basic cable service and you will get sports (from time to time) on (free of charge to cable services) TV5, TVE and Deutsche Welle and I'm sure there are more out there if only ntl were not so awfully British.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by NORMAL CABLE
How many of you would like to see further sports ?
Seek a normal basic cable service and you will get sports (from time to time) on (free of charge to cable services) TV5, TVE and Deutsche Welle and I'm sure there are more out there if only ntl were not so awfully British.

i would like more sports but none of the channels you mentioned will show live premiership or SPL

celticfc

I would certainly prefer having a sports channel than having any of the above mentioned channels & I know a lot of people who would agree with me.

Oh, how I miss Eurosport.

This must mean that ntl plan to finally remove the encrypted premium Sky Sports channels.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by celticfc
This must mean that ntl plan to finally remove the encrypted premium Sky Sports channels.

good riddance tbh

SPDUB

Originally posted by celticfc
I would certainly prefer having a sports channel than having any of the above mentioned channels & I know a lot of people who would agree with me.

Oh, how I miss Eurosport.

This must mean that ntl plan to finally remove the encrypted premium Sky Sports channels.

We can only hope but knowing NTL they will probably use the CNBC frequency and we lose the only decent programmes like leno and Conan O Brien and before anyone says go digital it's not available in this area

NORMAL CABLE

If all European (except the U.K of GB and NI) cable companies can and do offer an average of 30 channels in analogue - in the basic service - including channels with sports included at around 130 euros per year then why should anyone suggest that any channel be removed?

Why anger people? particularly the 0.02 % who watch CNBC.
It's so good that one can watch it on ntl analogue and on ntl digital.
Minority English language business addicts are respected by ntl and rightly so but what about the 29% who speak one or all of the four languages of the countries nearest to us?
Do we not deserve to watch our sports channel(s) also?

ntl should add on more channels -free of charge to cable companies- for those who are not tv addicts (their digital customers-choice is the word) and allow both groups of customers to co-exist in peace with each other........

Multi-lingual sports channels for all 340,000 households in Eire (as we are known in ntl hq) NOW.

SPDUB

Originally posted by NORMAL CABLE


Why anger people? particularly the 0.02 % who watch CNBC.

Because they can

BrianD

Personally, if there is one channel that should go its CNBC. Why on earth they selected this propaganda/promotional channel for the American stock market is beyond me. I do understand that they show golf from time to time (perhaps when even they understand that some paid for analysis of an obscure stock or share is just far to boring for anybody).


In the days when I had NTL basic on cable, it was the one station I didn't bother to tune in.

SteM

Originally posted by Buckfast
I'm confused. According to the following press release from NTL, Setanta will be part of the basic analogue package from August. How can matches be PPV then?

I was wondering the same thing. Does anyone know how they'll control access to PPV matches on a analogue system?

BrianD

AFAIK the Setanta station will only be on-air at the weekends. While Setanta own the rights to the matches they don't necessarily have to show them PPV and this is where the advertising comes in as an alternative revenue stream.

icdg

Originally posted by SteM
I was wondering the same thing. Does anyone know how they'll control access to PPV matches on a analogue system?

If they wanted to, the same way NTL did analogue PPVs before - using the sizable number of analogue decoders that (well, were at least) out there, and confining the audience for PPVs to premium subscribers.

But interviews in yesterdays newspapers seem to confirm that there won't be PPV's, it'll be in the basic all the time.

Although the Irish Independent seemed to think NTL has 340,000 digital subscribers... hmm, NTL Digital is not that popular.

Don't diss CNBC! I'm a fan. Not of the golf though. I have digital, so I wouldn't be pushed if it was taken off analogue though.

jimbob

Setanta have announced the launch of Ireland's first ever dedicated sports channel, which will be available from August 2004 and will broadcast to over 340,000 ntl customers as part of its basic television package.

The new channel, called Setanta Sports, will broadcast live coverage of the English Premiership and Scottish Premier League, and will also have exclusive live rights to Rugby's Celtic League. More sports content will be added to the schedule and will be announced in due course.

Setanta Sports will initially start broadcasting on a weekend basis in August, in time for the launch of the new sporting season. From January 2005, Setanta Sports will extend its broadcast hours to include programming from Monday – Sunday inclusive.
Niall Cogley, Chief Executive, Setanta Sports said: "This new channel is a significant step in the Irish broadcast market place. In a relatively short-time Setanta has acquired the rights to top class sports programming, which has a direct relevance and appeal to a wide audience in Ireland. Setanta has built up a significant broadcasting business over the last 14 years and looks forward to building on that with the launch of Setanta Sports. Our partnership with ntl Ireland will enable us to deliver this unique channel to over 340,000 ntl homes."

Today's announcement establishes Setanta Sports as Ireland's fifth national channel, the first indigenous Irish channel to enter the marketplace since the launch of TV3 in September 1998.

Mark Mohan, Sales & Marketing Director of ntl Ireland said: "This is a landmark day for the broadcasting industry in Ireland. We are certain that Setanta Sports will be essential viewing for Irish sporting fans. Today's announcement enables our customers to benefit from even more choice, confirming our commitment to deliver the best value from Ireland's local and trusted multichannel television operator."


All ntl customers will receive the channel
- Fifth Irish Television Channel to be launched in history of the state
- Live matches from the English & Scottish Premier Leagues
- Exclusive live rights for Rugby's Celtic League
- Over 340,000 ntl customers to receive Setanta Sports from August 2004

Any chance of the channel being available on Sky or Chorus???
Does anybody know?

patrickmooney

Already being discussed, see the following thread, started in May http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164231

jimbob

setanta
Setanta have announced the launch of Ireland's first ever dedicated sports channel, which will be available from August 2004 and will broadcast to over 340,000 ntl customers as part of its basic television package.


ICDG It didn't say anything about 340,000 Digital subscribers on Setanta .
All Ntl customers will receive the channel including basic analogue.
hence the 340,000 customers.

hopefully it will join Chorus aswell.....

cdc

British football and rugger.
So Sky Sports Oireland basically.

Michael Collins would be proud :ninja: