Setanta Sports has agreed a three-year package of live Irish broadcast rights to Premier League soccer. The deal will run from the start of the 2013/14 season and run through to the end of 2015/16.
Setanta will show 33 live games a year from England’s top flight, all in the 3pm slot on a Saturday afternoon as has been the case now since 2004.
All the matches, which will include all the top teams at some point during the season, will be exclusive to Setanta. Sky Sports and BT Sport who are the principal rights holders for the League are not permitted to show matches in what was always the traditional soccer time so as to protect live attendance at games in the lower leagues.
The arrival of BT Sport, in place of ESPN which had been included as part of a Sky Sports subscription package means that there will now be three separate and independent pay TV services covering the Premier League.
The price point for BT Sport in the Republic of Ireland has yet to be set but its mix of top class soccer, rugby and women’s tennis will bring pressure on the other two and may well lead to a return to business premises like bars and sports clubs becoming the preferred venue for watching sport.
“The beginning of the 2013/2014 season in August will mark Setanta’s 10th consecutive year showing live Saturday 3pm Premier League games,” added Setanta Sports marketing director Brian Quinn. “It is still the traditional kick-off time in most fan’s minds and one that features a great calibre of games.”
Setanta has also secured the live TV rights to the Republic of Ireland’s friendly against England at Wembley Stadium on 29th May.
The channel has exclusive coverage of the Allianz Leagues in hurling and football as well as coverage of Irish basketball, Formula 1, Champions’ and Europa League, NHL and Nascar racing.
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