Setanta Sports News was a creation of the Virgin Media Television network and Setanta Sports. Launched in November 2007, this channel was a 24 hour sports news provider for Setanta Sports. Setanta Sports News capitalized on the success of Setanta Sports and attempted to capture the sports news viewers situated in UK and Ireland. A free channel available via satellite tv and in addition available on the internet, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even though Sky Sports News became an integral part of Virgin Media television, Setanta Sports remained with this particular platform and continued to retain its rival position.
Approximately 12 months following the channel launch, it had been decided that the channel required a different look. Thus came the new look of the show using a widescreen format, headlines were run at the bottom length of the screen and many more smaller yet significant changes. The channel however continued to experiment with its looks and format structure across the year incorporating smaller changes to make it popular with the viewers.
Setanta Sports was doing very well as a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sporting events from its station located in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed with an idea of the Irishmans passion for sport, this channel aimed at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They’ve got a group of individual channels that operate in the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Africa and broadcast sporting events such as hurling, golf, Gaelic football, association football, American football, horse racing, boxing, rugby union and darts. sport betting horse racing
However following a successful run for more than ten years, Setanta Sports began facing financial difficulties. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain used to get broadcast just like Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation during 2009 because of financial issues and insufficiency of funds. The ownership of Setanta Sports Channel Ireland limited changed. The channel then went on to get co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Due to this change in fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. This was also followed by a loss of a number of jobs. However parts of Setanta Sports continued broadcasting sports events in Ireland, Canada, USA and Australia. The only real hiccup was that some content remained affected due to the closure in the operations in Great Britain.
Setanta Sports continued to be in the news for the various reports that continued to brew regarding its change in ownership and prospective buying proposals. There have been several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland was being looked at with interest by music producer Dennis Desmond.
Following the ownership change both of the Setanta Channels, the one in Ireland as well as the one in the United States, are licensed from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. These broadcast rights include airing of club football from counties such as Germany, France, Ireland, Brazil and Netherlands, national football games, rugby union games, rugby league games, exclusive rights to the live broadcasting in the USA PGA golf tour along with other championships such as Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.
