The demise of Setanta and what it means for boxing.

ODD-JOB

Recession has hit the sporting world.

Setanta sports is on the brink of collapse.
The ripple effects of this shall have a massive impact on boxing .
The "Home of Boxing" was a saviour to european boxig fans .... established itself on a very high level competing and beating Sky to take the spot of the #1 place to see fights.

It's not just a case of loosing our viewing pleasure , and all the excellent domestic and world shows, Steve B's boxing hour etc.
But Setanta are also responsible for a link in the chain that gets boxing events processed. They pumped 100's of millions into various sports to acquire broadcasting rights. This money trickled all the way down the ladder like a bloodline.
Without this money , a lot of people would get burnt.

One recent debacle is the world heavyweight bout between David Haye and Vitali Klitshko.
Apparently a deal was struck concerning the devision of the income and purse allocation to each fighter.
Haye was to benifit from the European market of viewers and would recieve benifit from Setanta , Klitscko would profit from HBO.
Rumours grew about Setanta and subsequent payments were not made to notably the Premier League and Scottish premier league,.... then Haye pulls a sick-note !
A back injury , or a mask to excuse withdrawl ?

Setanta had also recently struck a deal to recieve rights to air Bob Arum's TopRank shows . Which means the promoter may also be left without certain revenue to get these fights on.

So what happens if Setanta disappear ?
Sky Sports remain with a monopoly on all sporting television ?
I just can't see any non-subscription channels competing in a financial war for tv rights to any event of significance.

Lets hope there is some sort of rescue coming, but it seems unlikely that any investor would take on Setanta's existing contracts that are just not making economical sense.

T-K-O

The just secured an investor - I can't see some company pumping 20/30 million in only to let the company go belly up.

And lets hope it doesnt - we dont want sky controlling the boxing scene.

cowzerp

yep, i think they'll get through this, i hope so as the competition is good and bunceys boxing hour is great and they make sky up there game too-they do the bare minimum if they can otherwise..

raven136

Reports in yesterdays papers that they are also looking at two more investors,so they are safe for the time being.They also started to pay the premier league with a 10m payment over the weekend.

Setanta pisses all over sky with its boxing coverage but its the football that brings in the subscribers.

Overall Setanta offers more to sports fans,UFC,Boxing,Rugby,F1,American sports but the main money is in the Premiership and thats the package they lost to sky.

T-K-O

raven136 wrote: »

Reports in yesterdays papers that they are also looking at two more investors,so they are safe for the time being.They also started to pay the premier league with a 10m payment over the weekend.

Setanta pisses all over sky with its boxing coverage but its the football that brings in the subscribers.

Overall Setanta offers more to sports fans,UFC,Boxing,Rugby,F1,American sports but the main money is in the Premiership and thats the package they lost to sky.

They are advertising more games than ever for next season.

MrStuffins

T-K-O wrote: »

They are advertising more games than ever for next season.

I think they've been clever here.

They never say "Premier League games".

I reckon they'll have more football next year than this with all the wualification going on, but they definately have less Premier League games after losing the package to Sky

JoeyJJ

T-K-O wrote: »

They are advertising more games than ever for next season.

Its the season after that they lost not next year hence still the big payment due to the prem league for next season they had trouble making.

T-K-O

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Its the season after that they lost not next year hence still the big payment due to the prem league for next season they had trouble making.

I thought they signed a 5 year deal only recently, I must have got it wrong.

Well I truly hope they can keep going as a previous poster stated they are doing a fantastic job and not only with the boxing.

ODD-JOB

But would the new investors have to carry through with Setanta's existing contracts ?

Setanta requires 2 million subscriptions to cut even . They presently only have in excess of 1 million subscriptions. It leaves them operating at a loss for the fore-seeable future .

Changes will have to be made , can they re-negotiate the contracts ?....well yes , probably to some degree , as teams and promotions and clubs etc are relying on the payments from Setanta. (Anything is better than nothing)

I hope that Setanta dosent end up being a "Eurosport" with lacklustre screenings , and lower grade coverage.

It's now that the evil SKY will go to town on a mission to knock-out Setanta.
Sky will (or should ) bid top dollar for all events , discarding profit as a main objective and bid Setanta out of the water on any major events.
Murdoch is an expert @ monopoly , and have the necessary financial reserves to deliver that Kkiller blow.

Setanta saved ....... for the moment only.

I also believe we shall see the fall of numerous "big" clubs/events within the next 18months

joepenguin

So basically setanta is safe for the next few years?

On the football thing they are promoting more football than ever. They are showing 46 premiership games next season which is pretty decent. Last season they had loads of games involving the big 4 teams against non big 4 teams and was overall the better sports package.

ODD-JOB

Setanta losses premier tv rights .

http://www.itv.com/news/articles/setanta-loses-football-contract-241640310.html

Without taking any subscriptions , they'll be gone within 2 weeks imo.
I will be interested to see if this fight goes ahead -
Scheduled on Setanta:
Arthur Abraham v Mahir Oral - 27th June

joepenguin

Could the still operate without all the football? I know thats where the money is but its also where the expense is. Could they still be a decent business focusing on other sports? To the same level they cover boxing.

nacho libre

They are financially viable in Ireland and in their other overseas branches. So the talk is of whether to keep these going or fold the company completely. Boxing is not popular enough to keep them afloat. It's soccer they rely on to bring in subscriptions - of which they projected they needed 1.9 million to remain viable. Well, obviously, they are never going to attain that figure now.

joepenguin

nacho libre wrote: »

They are financially viable in Ireland and in their other overseas branches. So the talk is of whether to keep these going or fold the company completely. Boxing is not popular enough to keep them afloat. It's soccer they rely on to bring in subscriptions - of which they projected they needed 1.9 million to remain viable. Well, obviously, they are never going to attain that figure now.

So if they need 1.9 million viewers to stay afloat as it is, surely if they drop the premiership etc they have less outgoings so would need less subscribers.

Maybe it wouldnt be as lucrative but if they didnt need to pay the premiership all that money they could spend it on something that is less costly but has a decent following. They obvioulsy cant hold their own with sky in terms of football but could still be a good sports channel

nacho libre

joepenguin wrote: »

So if they need 1.9 million viewers to stay afloat as it is, surely if they drop the premiership etc they have less outgoings so would need less subscribers.

Maybe it wouldnt be as lucrative but if they didnt need to pay the premiership all that money they could spend it on something that is less costly but has a decent following. They obvioulsy cant hold their own with sky in terms of football but could still be a good sports channel

less outgoings, yes, but with the debts they have, it's unlikely they'll get enough subscribers without the football to generate the revenue to ensure they can remain in business. also there is talk of them losing the ufc live ppv events which is another major blow.

cowzerp

nacho libre wrote: »

less outgoings, yes, but with the debts they have, it's unlikely they'll get enough subscribers without the football to generate the revenue to ensure they can remain in business. also there is talk of them losing the ufc live ppv events which is another major blow.

UFC is gone, setanta is off there website now..

duagre

is this news


http://www.setanta.com/global/gb.html

joepenguin

So now its just setanta ireland we are left with. I doubt they will pick up as much boxing as the other channels.

So where to watch the boxing now lads?

sky sports showing fights a week after they happen just doesnt cut it for me.

blackgold>>

I know I never paid for any of the fights, but I really enjoyed watching bunce's boxing hour thursday. Is there any other good boxing shows to watch now?
I never enjoyed fights on sky sports,boring, biased commentary.

T-K-O

I'm going to get a dish for the house, I've been told it will pick up HBO and other channels from the states.

Big Ears

T-K-O wrote: »

I'm going to get a dish for the house, I've been told it will pick up HBO and other channels from the states.

You'll need planning permission with a dish that big.

What might happen is that Polish/Turkish/German channels will show fights that are also aired on HBO and you'll pick them up that way but you won't directly get HBO.

Even in America you can't get HBO with just a satellite dish, you need a Subscription(same way you get Sky Sports over here).

What you will receive however is all the German boxing with a Satellite dish, of course Setanta had a deal with Sauerland so they used to show all that, but you'd also get Universum stuff aswell as other fights, and you'd also be able to get the Polish and Turkish channels which show boxing(and often pick up HBO bouts when it involves a fighter from their nation).

itouchmyself

Devistating

joepenguin

We already have a sky dish, is this another one to pick up all those channels?

I think streams are the way to go for the time being.

I still think there should be a decent combat sports channel. Something like the fight network but of a higher standard.

Someone said wwe and ufc couldnt be on the same channel but you could still have tna for the wrestling end of things and keep the mma and boxing top notch.

Big Ears

joepenguin wrote: »

We already have a sky dish, is this another one to pick up all those channels?

If you're talking about the German ones etc, you can pick them up on your Sky Dish but you'll have to point it in a different direction,and thus won't have whatever channels you get from Sky when you do that.

The only easy way to change between them is if you have a motor installed on your dish but if you want more info on that you're best to visit the satellite forum.

Hellsing

ESPN are launching a new subscription package in the UK and Ireland. They will have more or less the same material as Setanta had. According to the Telegraph this may include the UFC and World Championship Boxing.

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/5622256/ESPN-to-set-up-new-channel-for-live-Premier-League-matches.html

T-K-O

Big Ears wrote: »

You'll need planning permission with a dish that big.

What might happen is that Polish/Turkish/German channels will show fights that are also aired on HBO and you'll pick them up that way but you won't directly get HBO.

Even in America you can't get HBO with just a satellite dish, you need a Subscription(same way you get Sky Sports over here).

What you will receive however is all the German boxing with a Satellite dish, of course Setanta had a deal with Sauerland so they used to show all that, but you'd also get Universum stuff aswell as other fights, and you'd also be able to get the Polish and Turkish channels which show boxing(and often pick up HBO bouts when it involves a fighter from their nation).

I'll take my chances on the planning permission. Also I have sky without subscription, these channels can be got and I have it from a reliable source that HBO can be tunned into. Anyway if it works great it not - lets hope ESPN just take over from Setanta and its business as usual.

Tony Angelino

Pity if we lose the Steve Bunce show, surely some other station will pick it up.
I normally download this show every week, is there are only boxing shows that are worth downloading?

joepenguin

Thats great if we get an espn channel in its place. I wonder would we get Froday fight nights or would sky frown upon that?

Hope bunceys show is picked up by someone else.

spongeman

I got Setanta in on the dish for the boxing, however as they broadcast on a different beam or whatever the picture was unwatchable, so I got rid of it.

Good content however, But I will stick with Sky.

C0ward

Nice to see that disgusting slob Steve Bunce gone.

Big Ears

C0ward wrote: »

Nice to see that disgusting slob Steve Bunce gone.

Care to elaborate on that ?

gary nevillevil

C0ward wrote: »

Nice to see that disgusting slob Steve Bunce gone.

WTF!!!

I for one will miss Bunces boxing hour and general boxing from Setanta as they got the big fights and had great coverage,
I would love to see Sky or Itv take Buncey on board with a new show.

duagre

Yeah, true. We all tend to give sky a fair bit of flack ( and justifiably so) , but it would reflect well on them if they were to pick up the boxing hour. Boxing needs that type of outlet and they could easily provide it. I would definitely give the credit where it is due, if they were to make that commitment to the boxing community.

C0ward

Big Ears wrote: »

Care to elaborate on that ?

No.