Sunder Lad

Setanta Sports News was a production of the Virgin Media Television network and Setanta Sports. Launched in November 2007, this channel became a 24 hour sports news provider for Setanta Sports. Setanta Sports News capitalized around the success of Setanta Sports and tried to capture the sports news viewers based in UK and Ireland. A totally free channel available via satellite television and also available on the internet, Setanta Sports News was positioned as Sky Sports News primary rival. Even when 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 a year following the channel launch, it had been decided that this channel required a different look. Thus came the brand new look in 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 test out its looks and format structure across the year incorporating smaller changes to really make it popular with the viewers.

Setanta Sports was thriving as a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sports entertainment from the station based in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed through an understanding of the Irishmans love for sport, this channel targeted at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They have a set of individual channels that operate in the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Africa and broadcast competitive sports including hurling, golf, Gaelic football, association football, American football, horse racing, boxing, rugby union and darts.

However after a successful run for over a decade, Setanta Sports began facing financial hardships. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in the UK used to be broadcast just as Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation in 2009 because of financial issues and insufficiency of funds. The ownership of Setanta Sports Channel Ireland limited changed. The channel then went on to be 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 range of jobs. However portions of Setanta Sports continued broadcasting sports events in Ireland, Canada, USA and Australia. The only real hiccup was that some content remained affected because of the closure in the operations in Great Britain.

Setanta Sports remained in the news for the various reports that continued to brew regarding its alteration of ownership and prospective buying proposals. There have been several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland was being looked over 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 USA, are licensed by 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 of the USA PGA golf tour and other championships including Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.