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Eir in talks to acquire Setanta Sports

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    #32
    An Ciarraioch
    Registered Users Posts: 5,803 ✭✭✭An Ciarraioch


    mikeym wrote: »
    What will happen to Setanta Sports 1 and Setanta HD since that Premier Sport is not being sold to Eir?

    Presumably Setanta Sports 1 is included, if the sports pack is being sold, but Premier Sports will operate, as now, as a stand-alone UK entity?


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    #33
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 8,386 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    Setanta Ireland is also available to legacy subscribers of Analogue Cable.

    If the deal goes ahead what happens to the channel by then?


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    #34
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,965 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    channelsurfer2 wrote: »
    subscribe to Eir and get Eir sports free.(but really not free as we are way more expensive than Sky or Vodafone/Virgin).......
    Any chance Eir will do an IPTV thing for those on other providers BB ?

    Or will it be only linked to those who pay for line rental ?


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    #35
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    An Ciarraioch wrote: »
    Presumably Setanta Sports 1 is included, if the sports pack is being sold, but Premier Sports will operate, as now, as a stand-alone UK entity?

    The thing is that while, on paper, it is a standalone UK entity, the reality at present is that for all operational purposes Setanta Sports 1 and Premier Sports are the same channel. About 90% of the schedule is identical and during those identical programmes Premier Sports branding and UK advertisements are seen on both. (There is a "Setanta 1" DOG on the cable version, on the satellite version the DOG reads "Premier Sports" during common programmes).

    Setanta Sports 1 only exists as a distinct service during two periods- Saturday afternoons, and Champions League/Europa League game nights. There are also GAA National League matches broadcast on the channel with Setanta branding though these do also air in the UK.

    What do I think will happen? I think the current arrangements will run through to the end of this season, after which we will see the end of Setanta Sports 1 (as indeed was planned to happen in August 2013 before Setanta had a sudden last minute change of heart). The Premier League matches will be gone and the rationale for two Champions League/Europa League matches to continue to be aired by Setanta when they are also being aired by BT is weak. Setanta can continue to run separate coverage on Setanta Ireland (and seem to be obliged to air one Europa League match FTV on the channel). That leaves the problem of the GAA, but 2016 is the last year of the current contract, and who knows where the pieces will lie after the upcoming auction on that. Hopefully then there will be a deal for Premier Sports to remain part of the Setanta pack for the forseeable future.


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    #36
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Here is what I suspect will happen:

    - These channels will be Renamed to eir Sport or some variant of that.
    - These channels will at least be offered for free when bundled with eir Vision TV service, Eir's IPTV TV service that also requires Eir Fibre Broadband (FTTC/FTTH).
    - They might also offer it for free to all eir Fibre Broadband customers, even if they don't sign up for eir Vision TV service, but less certain about this one.
    - They will continue to offer the service on Sky Satellite and Virgin cable, but at an extra cost.
    - They might offer it as an over the top IPTV service on other braodband companies (e.g. Sky, Virgin, etc.), but obviously at a cost.

    Expect to see lots of adds for Eir Broadband and TV service and offers of the channel for "free" when bundled with them on these channels.


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    #37
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    The terms of their agreement with BT (and whatever continuing agreement, if any, may exist with Premier Sports after they are separated from Setanta) may limit their ability to offer channels other than Setanta Ireland free of charge. It depends what kind of fee BT is expecting per subscriber.


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    #38
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    The Irish Times has a bit more details today, Michael O'Rouke will stay with Setanta for two years, so I imagine there will continue to be an ongoing relationship between Setanta and Premier of some sort for that period anyway. Seems there will be no overnight rebrand but reading between the lines a move to the Eir brand may eventually happen. The Setanta Pack will remain available on Virgin, though what might happen on satellite isn't mentioned (though I don't expect it to go anywhere).


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    #39
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    FTV only to Virgin subscribers. Do they provide FTV to Sky for Europa games? as they do with Sound and Vision.

    Disappointed BT didn't buy Setanta, purely to see if the BAI would defend their funding position.


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    #40
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Yes, one Europa League game each week has been free to view on satellite each week during the group stages. Probably a UEFA requirement given Setanta's status as exclusive rights holder this season.


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    #41
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    Elmo wrote: »
    FTV only to Virgin subscribers. Do they provide FTV to Sky for Europa games? as they do with Sound and Vision.

    Disappointed BT didn't buy Setanta, purely to see if the BAI would defend their funding position.

    They could well end up swallowing all of eir.


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    #42
    ftakeith
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,251 ✭✭✭ftakeith


    gordongekko wrote: »
    They could well end up swallowing all of eir.

    in the uk bbc and bt sport share live sport rights

    could eir sport and rtetv do the same


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    #43
    gordongekko
    Registered Users Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭gordongekko


    ftakeith wrote: »
    in the uk bbc and bt sport share live sport rights

    could eir sport and rtetv do the same

    How the hell would I know 😃

    There probably is a lot of sense in that.

    Sky and itv share England game rights. Itv now have utv Ireland.
    Tv3 have joined upc/liberty who have access to the Olympics.
    Bt sports eir and rte are now the only ones without a link up.


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    #44
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    I would not overplay the Discovery-Liberty links, such as they are. Discovery is not a subsidiary of Liberty. Malone does control Liberty and has a large (but crucially, not the largest, which is held by the Newhouses) stake in Discovery. He has a directorship at Discovery but not management control.

    Sky can only show England games in one very limited circumstance - if England are drawn in the same group as Scotland, Wales, NI, or the Republic of Ireland. Even then they can only show the tie in which England are away.


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    #45
    afatbollix
    Registered Users Posts: 4,047 ✭✭✭afatbollix


    It will all stay the same just different money was moved around. Eir bough NTLs shares as they had I think 25%?

    It will not be free on virgin any more but will be free on eir.

    By the sounds of it Virgin told Setanta to get fecked when they came in and Setanta had to go find a new partner.

    It will stay on SKY they can't lose that amount of viewers.

    Premier sports & Setanta sports 1 are ran as one channel in Dublin. They only have one tv channel bay in Dublin to run both channels. To keep it cheap.


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    #46
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    afatbollix wrote: »
    It will not be free on virgin any more but will be free on eir.

    Sound and Vision funding has to go in that case.


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    #47
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    That is just speculation at the moment. No decision has been made.


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    #48
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    icdg wrote: »
    That is just speculation at the moment. No decision has been made.

    Wonder what will happen to Channel 105 if Setanta moves from Virgin Media? Will be interesting to see if they will let UTV Ireland take 105 or even 106 should they decided to drop Setanta as part of the Basic package.


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    #49
    Delta2113
    Registered Users Posts: 2,678 ✭✭✭Delta2113


    TV3 +1 could even take 105.


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    #50
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Delta2113 wrote: »
    TV3 +1 could even take 105.

    Possibly 106 with 3e moving to 105. But surely the regulator would have look at that as an abuse of position from Virgin Media.


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    #51
    guile4582
    Registered Users Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭guile4582


    Do Virgin operate like Sky, as in you buy the EPG channel number / slot?

    or can they move channels as they feel


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    #52
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Sky have an EPG which is subject to very tight regulation by Ofcom. Their EPG policies are published and publically available. While this isn't necessarily enforceable in Ireland, Sky keep to it anyway (since Sky UK and Sky Ireland are really the same system and practicalities dictate that the same EPG numbers should be used as far as possible).

    This isn't the case for Virgin or Saorview. There is the concept of "EPG contracts" in the Broadcasting Act 2009 but it appears the BAI have never sought to enforce this section. Virgin have always given the Irish channels priority as far as possible but this isn't absolute - witness UTV Ireland being on a lower EPG number than BBC One. But really Virgin are free to move/allocate channels (subject to the deals they do with providers) in a way Sky can't, because if a policy exists, they don't publish it.


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    #53
    DarkyHughes
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,393 ✭✭✭DarkyHughes


    mikeym wrote: »
    Eir Sports would sound silly.

    Better off not rebranding Setanta.

    Yes, people might think it's a channel just involving air sports, like eh skydiving & plane racing or flying racing.


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    #54
    guile4582
    Registered Users Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭guile4582


    icdg wrote: »
    Sky have an EPG which is subject to very tight regulation by Ofcom. Their EPG policies are published and publically available. While this isn't necessarily enforceable in Ireland, Sky keep to it anyway (since Sky UK and Sky Ireland are really the same system and practicalities dictate that the same EPG numbers should be used as far as possible).

    This isn't the case for Virgin or Saorview. There is the concept of "EPG contracts" in the Broadcasting Act 2009 but it appears the BAI have never sought to enforce this section. Virgin have always given the Irish channels priority as far as possible but this isn't absolute - witness UTV Ireland being on a lower EPG number than BBC One. But really Virgin are free to move/allocate channels (subject to the deals they do with providers) in a way Sky can't, because if a policy exists, they don't publish it.

    cool. i am aware through experience, that if you get a sky slot it is yours
    if you channel goes under it is up to you to sell that EPG slot, you can't just give it back to sky


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    #55
    greendom
    Registered Users Posts: 16,382 ✭✭✭✭greendom


    DarkyHughes wrote: »
    Yes, people might think it's a channel just involving air sports, like eh skydiving & plane racing or flying racing.

    The same people who believe Setanta Sports to cover ancient mythological Irish games ?


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    #56
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,965 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    mikeym wrote:
    Eir Sports would sound silly.

    Better off not rebranding Setanta.
    Setanteir ?


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    #57
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    Setanteir ?

    Like the bank?


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    #58
    Joo0
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭Joo0


    eir Sport and eir Sport 1 dont sound bad at all. Could the euro 16 rights that rte are trying to offload be the first purchase under eir?


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