End of the Road for Setanta

keps

Looks ever more likely that Setanta will go into administation over the next few days.

A sorry end to an over-ambitious project.


keps

mike65

A pity, Sky see off another potential rival. That said Setanta do have to take much of the blame for shoddy customer service poor technical standards and amatuer presentation esp early on with a "dead" set and some nearly dead presenters. It didn't encourage anyone really.

oldyouth

Does that mean Fat Pat will return to his position as Wexford Youths FC Advisor?:(

ironictoaster

Ah no, where will I get my Special1 TV fix now?

amacachi

Source?

I'll be sorry to see them go, I watch a fair amount on it, all their US and Australian coverage comes in very handy. It may not be of the highest standard, but it's there.

iguana

amacachi wrote: »

Source?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/5455162/Setanta-board-to-discuss-survival-options.html

amacachi

iguana wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/5455162/Setanta-board-to-discuss-survival-options.html

Already found it. :P

I'd just hope that Sky would pick up certain things Setanta have, but I doubt it.

icdg

Setanta defaulted on a payment due to the Scottish Premier League on Friday. The SPL reimbursed its clubs anyway, but will want the money back from Setanta. So if Setanta cannot renegotiate the deal, it is likely that the SPL will be looking for an Irish legal team to go down to the High Court during the week (perhaps as early as Monday) to put the company into recievership or liquidation (unless Setanta make a prior application for examinership first).

keps

The Times paint a gloomy picture...


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6445881.ece

phasers

Aw no, I love Special1 TV

callaway92

Where will my UFC go??:(
Where will PGA Golf go??:(
No more Ultimate Talk on Setanta News..Fúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúck

rovert

Ill cry tears if UFC 100 isnt shown over here.

The Sparrow

It's a real shame but it has been on the card for a while. A lot of people are employed by Setanta both in Ireland and abroad. Particularly in Dublin, those people will find it hard to get work as the television industry here is in a pretty poor state. Also alot of people (including me) have been able to make documentaries for Setanta that simply wouldn't have been made if Setanta were not around. Without Setanta there won't be anywhere near the amount of opportunities for people to make programmes.

Plus there are a lot of sports such as boxing and UFC which may not air over here if/ when Setanta go bust.

However, Setanta have to take the majority of the blame for this. Obviously the downturn hasn't helped them, but that is only because they stupidly spent way too much on football rights. It was crazy to even go near the figures they paid without already having built up a decent subscriber base.

I just hope that somebody like ESPN comes in and buys up Setanta.

Liam Byrne

Hopefully it'll mean that some of the stuff that Setanta grabbed will be back on subscription-free tv.

The Saint

Bugger. Who will take up the magners league now? Maybe RTE will take the Irish games. Probably wishful thinking.

steve 0

Looks like they need a stoppage-time winner
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8090633.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8089275.stm

Elmo

So do they just pull the plug for all channels at midnight tonight?

Our man in Havana

Elmo wrote: »

So do they just pull the plug for all channels at midnight tonight?

Yep.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8091195.stm

deadhead13

Weren't they offered a billion euro for it a couple of years back.

afatbollix

im pritty sure it wont be midnight tonight... staff havent been told yet..

afatbollix

something like 1.5 billion last year... espn offered 1 euro today acording to one paper:pac:

Our man in Havana

Might be time to cancel those Direct Debits.

Brimmy

Good riddance.

Terrible company with ridiculous customer service. Made me feel like a thief after they overcharged me and then just ignored all my phonecalls and emails. I feel bad for the people who will be out of jobs but not sad at all to see this company go.

Hopefully ESPN buys them out and the company gets its act together.

Chanandler Bong

i thought they had some kind of symbiotic deal going with ESPN already, as in the way they carry ESPN America?, should make a buyout easier

ScumLord

That was one outrageously expensive channel.

Mossy Monk

ScumLord wrote: »

That was one outrageously expensive channel.

One channel?

spongeman

Setanta had very serious technical issues, which involved realigning your dish. Very stupid - look at every other channel on Sky Digital - clear viewing. All they could do was keep sending repair signals.

A pity as I liked the boxing and other bits and pieces.

Elmo

Mossy Monk wrote: »

One channel?

In fairness Mossy many of the sports could be on just one channel, with an extra channel carrying sports that don't go with the schedule of some of the live sports.

im pritty sure it wont be midnight tonight... staff havent been told yet..

I know that Bubble Hits weren't very big but didn't they just pull the plug one night.

Do you think Setanta Sport Ireland will become 3Sport?

Mossy Monk

Elmo wrote: »

In fairness Mossy many of the sports could be on just one channel,

But they weren't.

Mossy Monk

spongeman wrote: »

Setanta had very serious technical issues, which involved realigning your dish.

That is not a technical issue. That is a piss poor satellite dish installer.

Elmo

Mossy Monk wrote: »

But they weren't.

In fairness most of Sky Sports and Sky Movies could be put over 2 channels with a few extra ones for live sports that just don't fit the schedule

I call it robbery

steve 0

Regular updates here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/companies/setanta/

Setanta says business is proceeding as usual at its office in the United States.

Setanta Sports vows to remain on the air but acknowledges new signups are suspended.

Elmo

Yeah it looks like they are holding on

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0610/setanta.html

steve 0

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8096575.stm

The Scottish Government can play a part in helping to support a rescue package for troubled broadcaster Setanta, it has been suggested.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/11/setanta-insolvency-premier-league-television

Setanta executives were last night expressing genuine hope that the organisation had been pulled back from the brink of collapse after a "very credible" investor emerged with an 11th-hour rescue plan.

Mossy Monk

They need to reduce subs and stop relying on the Premier League.

Elmo

I think the idea that they could charge x amount for 79 games and sky continued to charge the same amount but with less games was a big issue. I know if I was a soccer fan I would be pissed as 2 company try to charge 10 euro extra! or what ever the subscribion was.

Mossy Monk

Elmo wrote: »

I think the idea that they could charge x amount for 79 games and sky continued to charge the same amount but with less games was a big issue. I know if I was a soccer fan I would be pissed as 2 company try to charge 10 euro extra! or what ever the subscribion was.

Actually. Sky have been showing more games than before Setanta came along.

deadhead13

US billionaire, Leonard Blavatnik has offered £20m for a 51% stake in Setanta.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/12/setanta-buyer-leonard-blavatnik

Our man in Havana

deadhead13 wrote: »

US billionaire, Leonard Blavatnik has offered £20m for a 51% stake in Setanta.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/12/setanta-buyer-leonard-blavatnik

£20m won't get them far in any case as they need £30 to get to the end of the month.