Setanta To Launch Sports News Channel

Setanta is to launch a sports news channel on Virgin Media, replacing Sky Sports News which the cable operator lost when it became embroiled in a dispute with Sky over the carriage of its basic channels.

Virgin Media lost the Sky channels in March (see Sky Anytime? Not For Virgin Media Cable Homes), with the dispute rumbling on until it eventually reached the courts.

The legal fight looks set to continue for some time yet however, as Virgin Media and Sky have now agreed on a timetable where the trial will not commence until the middle of next year.

The new channel is the latest high-profile deal between Setanta and Virgin Media, following last week’s announcement that customers to Virgin Media’s XL basic TV package will now be able to receive six Setanta Sports Channels for free (see Virgin Media Signs Setanta Sports Deal).

The channels will also be available to customers of any other Virgin Media TV service for £8 a month.

At the start of July, Setanta unveiled the initial 19 fixtures of its 46 live Barclays Premier League games for the 2007/08 season (see Setanta Unveils Premier League Football Schedule).

Last May, Setanta paid around £392 million to secure the rights to screen the 46 matches for the next three years (see Sky And Setanta Share Remaining Premiership Rights).

BT Vision are also attempting to make inroads into Sky’s stranglehold on Premiership viewing, with the launch of its BT Vision Sport service, allowing fans to watch Premier League matches just hours after the game has finished for £4 a month (see BT Launches Sports Catch-Up Service)

Setanta: 0207 930 8926 www.setanta.com