Sports Rights: US Golf - Setanta beat Sky

DMC

Significant in its own way, as golf takes up a huge chunk of Sky Sports' airtime.

Setanta wins rights to PGA golf

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1807243,00.html

5pm
Jason Deans
Tuesday June 27, 2006

Irish pay-TV broadcaster Setanta has added to its recent Premier League rights victory by picking up exclusive coverage of golf's PGA Tour at the expense of Sky Sports.

Setanta has signed a six-year deal with the PGA Tour, giving the broadcaster exclusive UK and Republic of Ireland rights to the premier US golf professionals competition.

The Irish company will take over PGA Tour coverage in January 2007 from Sky Sports, which has held the UK rights to the competition since 1993.

Today's deal gives Setanta access to more than 40 PGA Tour events annually, including the Players' Championship, the over-50s Champions Tour and the Nationwide Tour, a feeder competition.

Setanta is planning to use its PGA Tour rights deal as the foundation of a new 24-hour Setanta Golf Channel, which will launch on January 1 2007.

"Following quickly of the heels of our recent English and Scottish Premier League successes, this is a major coup for Setanta," said the Setanta director of sports, Trevor East.

"A dedicated golf channel featuring the game's biggest names in peak viewing time alongside our major football content provides a compelling proposition for subscribers."

Mossy Monk

woah, big blow to Sky Sports

Sky Sports 2 will be thread bare in the evenings

byte

I wonder will Sky really need the rumoured Sky Sports 4 now?

Setanta is fairly putting the pressure on Sky's stronghold!

Not fully sure if this is good for consumers, as people may need to pay for both Sky Sports and Setanta for their sporting fix.

dmeehan

i am seriously thinking of ditching sky sports in favour of setanta. dont setanta have the heineken cup from next year also?

MisterAnarchy

What a disaster for SKY.
Their US golf coverage was superb .I really enjoy it.
This is a serious blow by Setanta.
They are going to strip RTE of most of their jewels too ,something which would be very sad as Setanta's coverage is atrocious.

DMC

dmeehan wrote:

i am seriously thinking of ditching sky sports in favour of setanta. dont setanta have the heineken cup from next year also?

Myth. Sky Sports has it all live.

MisterAnarchy

Setanta is planning to use its PGA Tour rights deal as the foundation of a new 24-hour Setanta Golf Channel, which will launch on January 1 2007.

I hope this doesnt mean the Golf Channel will be swallowed up by Setanta.
Its an excellent free to air channel and it would be a pity if it was to become subscription.

DMC

Interesting to note for all golf fans from today's Irish Independent Golf section, Sky's cupboard is far from empty.... Sky still have the biggies.

Sky in a statement published in that paper said they still retain the rights to the Ryder Cup, 2 US majors (US PGA and US Open), all the World Golf Championship games and the Solheim Cup, as well as 30+ events on the European Tour.

So.. again, the consumer is hit in the pocket between rights that are divided, just like the football.

When the EU went and stuck their thumb in the sports rights pie, did they have the best interests of the consumer at heart, or the best interests of the industry and employment?

As I've said a few times here before, I'm no fan of Sky, but I resent having to fork out more for less, and also having to pay to another company for the same things I paid for before, for more again.

Time to vote with our wallets?