Setanta Lose Premier League Rights

[Paddy]

The Premier League have terminated their contract with Setanta with immediate effect after the Irish broadcaster failed to make a scheduled payment before this evening's deadline.

Setanta had been warned earlier this week that the league would sell off their 46 live matches for next season to the highest bidder if they did not make the £30million payment.

Last-ditch efforts by Setanta to secure a rescue package were unsuccessful and the Premier League will announce early next week who has won the rights to show the games.

The league said in a statement: "The Premier League has been working with Setanta for some time to help them continue as the broadcaster of 46 UK live matches for the 2009/10 Season.

"The Premier League, in agreement with Setanta, stipulated that certain contractual requirements had to be met on or before Friday 19 June 2009 to allow the preparations for the 2009/10 season to continue unaffected.

"It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations. As such the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect.

"The Premier League will now go ahead and market the 46 UK live matches for the 2009/10 season."

Setanta still have a contract with the Premier League to show 23 live games a season from 2010 to 2013, but after their failure to come up with the money for next season the company looks close to the point of collapse.

The broadcaster, which started taking new subscriptions again this week based on hopes of a rescue by US tycoon Len Blavatnik's Access Industries has around 1.2 million subscribers, 700,000 short of the 1.9million that industry experts believe they need to break even.

Setanta had suspended new subscriptions last week and has also missed a £3million payment due to the Scottish Premier League - forcing the league to pay clubs from its own pocket.

 

[Spionkop69]

*cancels £13 a month subscription immediately*

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Poor Craig Burley.

 

[H]

poor lfc tv

 

[Shadey]

[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=34270.msg891655#msg891655 date=1245435621]
*cancels £13 a month subscription immediately*
[/quote] me too

What can steve mcmanamanman do now?

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=FPI Project link=topic=34270.msg891672#msg891672 date=1245441779]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=34270.msg891655#msg891655 date=1245435621]
*cancels £13 a month subscription immediately*
[/quote] me too

What can steve mcmanamanman do now?
[/quote]

Cup of tea for Mr Hansen!

 

[Whaddapie]

[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=34270.msg891681#msg891681 date=1245443993]
[quote author=FPI Project link=topic=34270.msg891672#msg891672 date=1245441779]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=34270.msg891655#msg891655 date=1245435621]
*cancels £13 a month subscription immediately*
[/quote] me too

What can steve mcmanamanman do now?
[/quote]

Cup of tea for Mr Hansen!
[/quote]

"So, Alan..."
"That's Mr. Hansen to you, son."
"So, Mr. Hansen... What was it like, like, to play on a good Liverpool team, like..?"

 

[HC]

If Sky can't pick up the package, who'll get it?

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Babestation

 

[leftpeg]

And who gets their golf?

 

[livvy145]

Dave

 

[Farkmaster]

Very interested to see who gets the rights in the US. This could be IMMENSELY helpful, or be a right pain in the arse.

 

[leftpeg]

[quote author=livvy185 link=topic=34270.msg891709#msg891709 date=1245447738]
Dave
[/quote]

And who else?

 

[refugee]

[quote author=Hardcastle link=topic=34270.msg891693#msg891693 date=1245446844]
If Sky can't pick up the package, who'll get it?


[/quote]

ESPN were rumored to be interested. Virgin might be another option.

 

[H]

BBC can use my effing licence money for something useful for once.

 

[leftpeg]

[quote author=leftpeg link=topic=34270.msg891712#msg891712 date=1245447944]
[quote author=livvy185 link=topic=34270.msg891709#msg891709 date=1245447738]
Dave
[/quote]

And who else?
[/quote]

C'mon lads...

 

[HC]

[quote author=H link=topic=34270.msg891716#msg891716 date=1245448436]
BBC can use my effing licence money for something useful for once.
[/quote]

Ha, as if.

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=H link=topic=34270.msg891716#msg891716 date=1245448436]
BBC can use my effing licence money for something useful for once.
[/quote]

Not gonna happen, they pulled out of off bidding for domestic footy rights in anything bar a token manner a few years back & all the noises from inside the beeb suggest cut backs, not further spending.

It wont go to a terrestrial channel, it'll be a pay channel. Let's have a big round of applause for the EU, nice job of reducing our subscriptions by stopping just one company having all the games, that worked well.

 

[Mors]

Sky have easily got the cash to throw at it, I can't see past them really. I can't see ESPN having the ability to quickly get themselves marketed out there to the british public who would be their main revenue stream for it. Virgin might be a longshot, but I can't see them wanting to throw 100mill at it.

Premiership Plus channel on it's way back? lol

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=Mors link=topic=34270.msg891823#msg891823 date=1245491892]
Sky have easily got the cash to throw at it, I can't see past them really. I can't see ESPN having the ability to quickly get themselves marketed out there to the british public who would be their main revenue stream for it. Virgin might be a longshot, but I can't see them wanting to throw 100mill at it.

Premiership Plus channel on it's way back? lol
[/quote]

Sky cant get the games.

That's why Setanta got them in the first place. EU anti-competition laws extended to cover footy to state one group couldnt hold all rights, supposedly to save consumers money.

 

[geoxf]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of crooks! .....ever since they shafted me for several months extra monthly fees - when they made it almost impossible to extract from their supposed 'no contract' service, I knew they would be heading for a fall!

 

[geoxf]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of crooks! .....ever since they shafted me for several months extra monthly fees - when they made it almost impossible to extract from their supposed 'no contract' service, I knew they would be heading for a fall!

 

[geoxf]

sorry about the 2 identical posts above ....I guess Setanta just pissed me off so much!

 

[FoxForceFive]

Yeah, I'd heard about how bad they were about that so cancelled the Direct Debit a couple of weeks before I wanted rid & then rang them up to pay the last payment over the phone.

 

[Rosco]

hehe ...

I hated their coverage too, even though in Ireland we got a lot of LFC matches for free at 3pm on a Saturday. They had the worst commentators and pundits.

 

[Roopy]

Hopefully the Setanta coverage in Australia won't be affected?

Not that we get any decent football on it anyway.

There's no EPL ... only live SPL (which is shithouse) ... then you get delayed coverage of Bundesliga and Serie A.

The only reason I got Setanta was because they have obtained the rights to broadcast India's cricket matches.

 

[RealRedBlood]

maybe the idiots at five will decide to put some football back on their channel, I remember the good old days when they were about the 3 Fs.

 

[H]

so if sky can't bid, ESPN are unlikely too.MAYBE JUST MAYBE BBC will get it this one time on the cheep?.......Maybe.

 

[refugee]

[quote author=RealRedBlood link=topic=34270.msg892146#msg892146 date=1245531136]
maybe the idiots at five will decide to put some football back on their channel, I remember the good old days when they were about the 3 Fs.
[/quote]

I doubt it, they have been struggling financially and they are in so much trouble that there has been talk of them merging with channel 4.

 

[eecheerow]

[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=34270.msg891710#msg891710 date=1245447753]
Very interested to see who gets the rights in the US. This could be IMMENSELY helpful, or be a right pain in the arse.
[/quote]

Setanta Canada is not affected (Setanta retains the rights this coming season) so I assume the same will be true with their deal in the United States.

I'm actually pleased with the news... Setanta leaves a lot to be desired at times, but I get every Liverpool match in its entirety, the vast majority of them live. That wasn't the case before last season.