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 on 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 was decided that this channel required a different look. Thus came the brand new look of the show with 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 experiment with its looks and format structure across the year incorporating smaller changes to make it attractive to the viewers.
Setanta Sports was doing very well as a sports channel since its inception in 1990. This channel broadcasted international sporting events from its station based in the city of Dublin in Ireland. Formed through an idea of the Irishmans love for sport, this channel targeted at broadcasting all Irish sports events to its Irish expats. They have a group of individual channels that operate in the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Africa and broadcast sporting events including hurling, golf, Gaelic football, association football, American football, horse racing, boxing, rugby union and darts.
However after a successful run for more than a decade, Setanta Sports began facing financial hardships. The channel operated by Setanta Sports in Great Britain used to get broadcast just like Setanta Sports entered administration or liquidation during 2009 because of financial issues and insufficiency of funds. The ownership of Setanta Sports Channel Ireland limited changed. The channel then proceeded to be co-owned by Gaiety Investments and Sabloss Limited.
Because of this alteration of fortune, Setanta Sports News ceased broadcasting from 2009. It was also accompanied by a loss of a range of jobs. However parts of Setanta Sports continued broadcasting sports events in Ireland, Canada, USA and Australia. The only hiccup was that some content remained affected because of the closure of the operations in Great Britain.
Setanta Sports continued to be in the news for the various reports that continued to brew regarding its change in ownership and prospective buying proposals. There were several reports by news providers that spoke of Setanta Sports Ireland was being looked at with interest by music producer Dennis Desmond.
Following a ownership change both of the Setanta Channels, the one in Ireland and the one in the USA, are licensed from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. These broadcast rights include airing of club football from counties including 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 such as Australian Football League, war of the darts etc.