Setanta Sports in trouble

[Garage_Doors]

The future of the troubled sports broadcaster Setanta could be decided within weeks.

Setanta has struggled after losing some Premiership rights

The company needs to find £100m if it is to stay afloat.

Setanta has payments of tens of millions of pounds to make to various sports bodies over the next month, including the Premier League and FA.

However, it is seeking to delay or cut those payments as it struggles to survive.

Bosses will meet Scottish Premier League officials this week to continue negotiations over a reduction in its existing contract and a new £125m deal due to start in 2010.

The Ireland-based company is scheduled to hand over another £35m to the Premier League by the end of next week.

It was late with a £10m payment to the FA in March, a move that triggered concerns about its future.

A new management team, led by new chairman Sir Robin Miller, is helping the firm navigate the troubled waters.

Setanta, with 1.2 million subscribers, suffered a big blow in February when BSkyB snatched some of the rights to show Premier League matches.

More than 80% of live televised Premier games will now appear on BSkyB.

Setanta has the rights to English internationals and FA Cup matches, as well as Scottish football, golf, boxing and Indian Premier League cricket.

 

[SirDouglasLoft]

What a shame.

 

[champion7]

I'm gutted,not.

 

[franks brother]

''sources close to the broadcaster confirmed yesterday that it will consider pulling out of other contracts''

IPL Cricket- BBC or Sky or joint bid.

Premiership Rugby - BBC or Sky or ITV or joint bid.

Conference football - Sky.

PGA - Golf Sky.

UFC - Five, Bravo , Sky Sports or Eurosport.

FA Cup football - BBC, Sky , Five or joint bid.

SPL - BBC or Sky or joint bid.

Boxing - BBC, ITV, Sky.

 

[Marc]

the wankers have nicked DTM from MotorsTV aswell which is bloody annoying, in a way I hope thye dont go bust as they might show more lower league games next season.....i.e. us some more!

 

[Knightsworld]

Hmm, that explains why when they need to speak to you, they send you a text for you to ring them back.

f***ing cheek.

 

[Russell Slade's hat]

Best get the subscription cancelled then

 

[Happy Seagull]

f*** em....hope they fold asap

 

[NF9]

Worst Channel in the WORLD EVER!
May aswell be called "Haggis Munchers TV".

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

refused to subscribe to it on principle, seeing as i already give sky 60 quid ish a month.

cant wait for em to go bust.
wankers

 

[GT49er]

Get it 'free' as I'm tied in to Virgin cable. Couldn't care less what happens to them. Long live MOTD, and the BBC and ITV covering matches that matter!

 

[throbinson]

Put football back onto normal TV, why should you have to pay to watch the nations game on TV

 

[SheffGull]

Good to see SHITANTA in trouble after the grief they caused me when trying to cancel thier pathetic channel

 

[Rookie]

Oh well never mind, might mean actually get to see away England games in the future then. After the Croatia fiasco should have lost the rights

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Setanta need to pay the Premier League £35M on May 15th. They are currently saying that they wont default on this instalment , however if the financial backers behind Setanta pull the plug things could get interesting as the rights will be up for grabs again for several sports.

 

[coventrygull]

I love the Blue square premier coverage

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Get it 'free' as I'm tied in to Virgin cable. Couldn't care less what happens to them. Long live MOTD, and the BBC and ITV covering matches that matter!

Its not really free , part of your subscription is given to Setanta in carriage rights. This way Setanta gets paid XX p per month by Virgin for each customer that has Setanta in their package rather than a standalone sub.

 

[WhingForPresident]

It isn't exactly worth £10 a month or whatever it is for one or two conference games though is it.
f*** off sultana, we don't want you.

 

[clapham_gull]

Its not really free , part of your subscription is given to Setanta in carriage rights. This way Setanta gets paid XX p per month by Virgin for each customer that has Setanta in their package rather than a standalone sub.

I guess that's why he put the free in quotes....

I wouldn't be surprised if SKY are split up at some point, due to their total dominance.

Or simply the Premier League take it on themselves to do the whole thing, that's the next logical step.

 

[sams dad]

I love the Blue square premier coverage

So do I