Setanta hits 1 million subscribers
Setanta Sports has passed the one million subscriber mark, adding 200,000 subscribers in the past year, and not including the two million homes that receive the channel as part of sweetheart deals with Virgin Media and UPC Ireland. To reach break-even, the company reportedly needs to reach 1.5million subscribers over the next 18 months.
Setanta Sport Ltd is an international media company whose core business is broadcasting sport. The company operates distinct divisions: Setanta Sports, Setanta Media, and Setanta Screens. Setanta Sport relays sporting events to a global audience. Setanta Media is responsible for Setanta’s new media operations, providing mobile phone content to network operators, web-management services to 3rd-parties and maintenance of the setanta.com website. Setanta Screens supplies large LED screens to the sports and entertainment industries.
Setanta’s coverage includes live coverage of the Scottish, Dutch, French, German and Italian premier leagues, Celtic TV and Rangers TV; in Ireland live Formula One, English Premier League, and GAA; and in the US live UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and Six Nations and Heineken Cup rugby, NASN.
Setanta operates in seven countries, owns and operates seven channels and employs 150 people in Dublin, London, Glasgow and San Francisco. Setanta Sport was founded in 1992 by Leonard Ryan and Michael O’Rourke, who remain joint CEOs and controlling shareholders. Starting from a base of closed circuit TV distributing Irish sports to an expatriate audience, the business has grown into an international multi channel operation.
Current holders in Setanta are EchoStar Media Holdings, Enterprise Ireland, Balderton Capital, Leonard Ryan, Michael O’Rourke, Management Team, Indigo Holdings, Davy Private Equity, Adams Street Partners, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Doughty Hanson.
