EPL Talk » Setanta Broadband

How the ESPN360 & Setanta Broadband Deal Will Work

The Gaffer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:00:16 +0000

ESPN and Setanta announced last week that both networks will immediately begin sharing the broadband rights in the United States for the Carling Cup, Coca-Cola Championship and Football League. But how exactly will games be split between Setanta Broadband and ESPN360? Here’s how:

ESPN360 will have the first pick of Carling Cup matches from round 1 through round 5,
ESPN360 has non-exclusive rights to the Carling Cup semi-final and final,
ESPN360 has the first pick of any Coca-Cola Championship games,
Starting next season, ESPN360 will have the first pick of any Coca-Cola Championship games except for Saturday’s 12:15pm ET game where Setanta will have first rights, and
ESPN360 will have second selection of semi-final playoffs from the Coca-Cola Championship, League One and League Two.

England Football Fans Shut Out On Both Sides Of The Atlantic

The Gaffer — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:31 +0000

For once, the Brits know how it feels to be American. That is, they know how difficult it is to watch England play football on TV.

With the TV rights for England in Britain going to Setanta Sports, most Englanders didn’t see the two nil win against Andorra on Saturday. The same will apply to the essential England match against Croatia, which is again available only on Setanta in the UK.

In the United States, it’s always been difficult to see meaningful England games on television. Last Saturday’s debacle against Andorra was only available on pay-per-view (for $25), in pubs showing Setanta (for a $20 cover charge) and on Setanta Broadband (if you have an annual contract for $150).

If you live in the States, Wednesday’s match against Croatia is available again on pay-per-view or in pubs that show the Setanta pub channel.

Or, of course, there’s half a dozen illegal ways to watch the match. In England, Setanta’s unwillingness to provide highlights of the Croatia against England match is only going to increase the demand for ways to watch it illegally — streams, P2P players and a ton of video sites.

The same thing applies to football fans in America. It’s bloody 2008. Forcing fans to pay $25 to watch one match is archaic. Very few fans are willing to spend that much cash when international matches are becoming less exciting than club football.

Does Setanta Broadband Work On An Apple iPhone?

The Gaffer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:01:03 +0000

Setanta Broadband isn’t currently compatible with the Apple iPhone, but a source inside Setanta Sports USA has informed me that they are currently in the process of implementing a new solution and intend to make it as cross-platform as possible and are specifically seeking support for the iPhone with Safari.