Setanta to debut sports channel

Irish broadcaster Setanta is challenging BSkyB in the U.K. pay TV market by offering its Freeview viewers a live sports package that will include Premier League football.

The sports channel will debut March 1 on Freeview as the only premium sports channel on the free-to-air platform.

For a special introductory offer of GBP 10.99 a month, viewers will be able to watch a number of exclusive live sports events, including 46 Barclays Premier League matches, the U.S. PGA Tour and the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

This will be the first time Premier League football will air on terrestrial TV since Sky first won the rights in 1992.

BSkyB, which has used its exclusive football rights to be the dominant player in the U.K. pay-TV market, will probably lose subscribers to Setanta.

Sky's premium package, which also broadcasts live Premier League matches, cost about GBP 40 a month.

Setanta, which will charge a one-time connection fee of GBP 10, will broadcast 46 Monday night and Saturday evening contests that are not available on Sky. The company said there would be no minimum contract period.

"This is an unbeatable proposition," said Michael O'Rourke, co-founder and joint CEO of Setanta.

"Setanta gives you premium sports for just over a tenner, a fraction of the price of other sports subscriptions. And you don't need to subscribe to any other services. Freeview homes can simply add Setanta Sports to their Freeview channels."

BSkyB will face another challenge this week when cable company NTL relaunches itself as Virgin Media, after its merger with that group.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.