Liverpool FC Forum

[Greavesie]

ESPN have got the rights

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8113702.stm

[tubby]

ESPN will buy Setanta.

You see just like I told you all.  The quality will be better as well.

[Dundalk]

They are going off air at 5 today apparently

[7_Kewell]

and another one bites the dust. Just like ITV Digital, Setanta has learnt that taking on Sky is harder than it looks.

[Bad Bob]

ESPN will buy Setanta.

You see just like I told you all.  The quality will be better as well.

Speak for yourself...I have horrible visions of this gimp rambling on about "bulgin' the old onion bag" at every turn.



But, I'll take that over no coverage at all.  I'm not sure where the ESPN buyout leaves Canadian viewers.  TSN picks up ESPN coverage of the Champions League each season but so far there's been no sense that they'll do the same for ESPN's coverage of the Prem.  I don't know if Sportsnet is going to step up to pick up the slack either.  If not, I might have to go back to the bad old days of seeing Liverpool on telly only every couple of weeks or so.  Dam.n you Setanta! 

[Dundalk]

Well the one thing we have learnt from all of this is dont fuck with Sky

[Madmax]

Good bye



Thaila is hot...

[GYBS]

Setanta goes into administration
Setanta's message to customers
Setanta stopped broadcasting in Britain shortly after going into administration

The Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports has gone into administration after failing to make a number of payments to sporting organisations.

Setanta has now stopped broadcasting to customers in Great Britain, but the administrator Deloitte said it would continue to operate elsewhere.

They said they would immediately stop collecting subscription payments.

About 200 employees involved with the British operations will be made redundant, the firm said.

Setanta had a total of 420 employees in the UK and Ireland.


Setanta sought to make significant reductions in its cost base by measures that included renegotiating its agreements with commercial partners and rights holders
Setanta's administrators Deloitte

Q&A: Setanta, me and my sport
Mihir Bose blog

"This is a sad day for all concerned," said Sir Robin Miller, chairman of Setanta.

"Unfortunately, in a difficult and highly competitive market, and despite strenuous efforts by the board and management, it has not been possible to find sufficient additional funds in the time available to ensure its survival."

Setanta will continue to broadcast in Ireland.

Setanta International and Setanta Ireland have not entered administration. Setanta Ireland will cover broadcasting in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Setanta also had a contract with the FA to broadcast England home friendly matches, FA Cup ties, England U21 games and the FA Community Shield.

The FA's chief executive Ian Watmore said it would now "consider options to find the best platform to broadcast those fixtures contracted to Setanta", adding that it expected "significant interest".

Missed payments

Analysts say Setanta has been running at a loss of about £100m a year, after missing subscriber targets.

The broadcaster has 1.2 million customers, 700,000 short of the 1.9 million that industry experts believe they need to break even.

Setanta Sports missed payments to both the English Premier League and the Scottish Premier League (SPL) in recent weeks, resulting in both organisations taking their respective broadcasting rights back.

The failure of Setanta throws into stark relief the market failure in pay TV in the UK
Sean Williams, BT Retail

On Monday, the US sports network ESPN bought the rights to show the 46 English Premier League games Setanta was due to show next season, as well as the 23 matches it was to broadcast in each of the following three seasons.

The SPL has said it is also looking for a new buyer for its domestic broadcasting rights.

Setanta also has broadcast deals with the Blue Square Premier non-league football in England, IPL cricket and the PGA golf tour.

Sean Williams, managing director of strategy at BT Retail, said: "The failure of Setanta throws into stark relief the market failure in pay TV in the UK.

"Competition in pay TV in the UK is not working effectively. This gives rise to significant harm to consumers in the form of higher prices, restricted choice and diminished innovation."

BT added that it was in talks with ESPN about a deal to show the English Premier League matches that it has bought the rights to for next season, and is telling customers to retain their BT Vision/Setanta viewing card.

Virgin Media has also confirmed it is in discussions with ESPN.

[Kharhaz]

And don't forget Rebecca Lowe... 

Hmmmmmmm.......

[Dundalk]

LFC channel - what now?

[Kharhaz]

Liverpool have stressed they remain committed to the club's television channel despite the collapse of Setanta, the platform on which it was broadcast.

The Irish company went off the air just before 6pm having gone into administration earlier today.

Liverpool will continue to broadcast via their website and are hopeful of getting the channel back on television screens as soon as possible.

"LFC TV is currently broadcasting as normal and will continue to do so until further notice," said a club statement.

"However, following the announcement that Setanta GB is no longer trading, there may be some disruption to our service for UK television viewers.

"While we continue to produce live and pre-recorded content for the channel as normal, we are urgently investigating all possibilities available to us in returning to broadcasting in the British Isles as quickly as possible.

"We're continuing to monitor developments but wish to point out that our online and international viewers should remain unaffected and that Liverpool Football Club remains committed to the future of LFC TV."

As long as sites like Sopcast exist, i'll be ok ! Online streaming is the way to go. Can anyone remember when ITV bought the rights to show lower league football matches live? And they went bust. John Motson said at that time, it wont work because then there will be too much football. Whatever the opinion of Motson, he was right. The public have contributed to Setantas downfall. And with good cause. I acquired extra channels, not because I asked for them, but its part of a package with Virgin. We have the phone and the internet, I was given the TV as it is part of a package deal they offer. But lets look at why Setanta have gone bust.

First off, the TV licence. You cannot watch a TV without this. Then there is freeview. More channels, at a low cost which peaks our interest. None of the channels on freeview offer sports.  So to get a chance to watch your team you have to upgrade to a sky box or virgin. The cost so far TV Licence, Freeview ( if you have paid for it ) then sky or virgin. You now have the sky channels. But you still cannot watch your team as Setanta have the rights to show so many matches, so now you pay for TV Licence, sky or virgin and setanta. It just works out cheaper to travel to each game and pay for the bloody ticket !

Like I said, online streaming is the way to go. LFC.TV have now gone to facebook. You pay for an E-season on the website to get to see certain articles, old matches and the like, you also have facebook shoved in your face to prove your a supporter. No thanks, I dont like being robbed, I especially dont like having to be "hip" to support the club.

My overrall opinion of Setanta is this, you tried to rob us, and failed miserably. So long suckers.

[bunglemark2]

Some valid points there mate.....but are you happier now that Sly Sports has almost a complete monopoly on footie matches ?
What a complete rip-off THEY are. I refuse to pay their overpriced and exorbitant rates and will watch footie henceforth via Sopcast or whatever other free-to-air means I can.
Screw 'em...

[tubby]

Don't worry mate in the near it will be deemed that Sky has monopoly over content and it will be spread out over other mediums. All in good time.

[Dundalk]

Setanta news final 10 mins on air

[7_Kewell]

Setanta news final 10 mins on air

good riddence to an awful channel.