Premiership on Freeview next season - £11/month

[Wozza]

Setanta tackles Sky's football supremacy with new deal
The Observer

Satellite channel Setanta, which surprised the TV industry by winning the rights to broadcast live Premier League football last May, will be available on Freeview later this year for £11 a month.
The move, expected to be announced this week, will represent a challenge to BSkyB, which has used its exclusive football rights to establish a dominant position in the UK pay-TV market.

Sky's premium package, which enables subscribers to watch live Premier League matches, costs around £40 a month, although that includes hundreds of additional channels.

Industry analysts do not regard Setanta as a direct competitor to Sky, which will continue to broadcast the majority of games, but the fact that some will be available so cheaply may mean Sky loses some subscribers. Setanta will broadcast 46 Monday night and Saturday evening games, which are not available on Sky, although its £10.99 monthly rate is described as an 'introductory offer'.
BSkyB also faces another challenge from rejuvenated cable company NTL, which will relaunch as Virgin Media this week, following its merger with the group. BT has also launched a TV service.

Around 11 million households with a Freeview box will be able to receive Setanta when it launches next month. Its existing output includes US PGA Golf and Scottish Premier League games.

But live Premier League football is likely to prove the big draw when the 2007/08 season begins in August. Viewers will be able to watch it on terrestrial TV for the first time since Sky won the right to broadcast games in 1992.

 

[Marshy]

£11 quid a month......im in for sure.

 

[captainmorganrum]

"FREEview"
"£11 a month"

 

[Rookie]

hardly get any games for that money tho, 46 games and its not going to be the top games more like Bolton v Middlesboro or something equally as shite

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Rip Off

 

[Superphil]

I love it that you can come on here after an announcement like this from Setanta, and find out exactly how good or bad it is going to be, long before they tell us what is going to happen.

I think I'll wait and see what their schedule is, then see if;

1. it's as good as
2. better than
3. worse than

Sky Sports, then I'll make my decision.

 

[Gwylan]

I love it that you can come on here after an announcement like this from Setanta, and find out exactly how good or bad it is going to be, long before they tell us what is going to happen.

I think I'll wait and see what their schedule is, then see if;

1. it's as good as
2. better than
3. worse than

Sky Sports, then I'll make my decision.

It's the Premiership - it will be crap.

 

[Man of Harveys]

It's the Premiership - it will be crap.

True, although they also have European league football - which could be OK.

Not sure about £11 a month though, I think I'd rather get a satellite dish for £150 and point it at Astra for the same effect.

 

[seven stands]

oh i do hope its a enter code channel like it is at the mo

 

[Giant Seagull]

11 sheets a month for Fulham v blackburn and Middlesbrough v Man city

 

[Rookie]

I love it that you can come on here after an announcement like this from Setanta, and find out exactly how good or bad it is going to be, long before they tell us what is going to happen.

I think I'll wait and see what their schedule is, then see if;

1. it's as good as
2. better than
3. worse than

Sky Sports, then I'll make my decision.

but you do know, they didn't get the first or second choice of games (i.e. Man Utd v Chelsea etc) Sky will continue with them think they got 3rd so you can tell what sort of games are going to be shown

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4975632.stm

 

[Wozza]

but you do know, they didn't get the first or second choice of games (i.e. Man Utd v Chelsea etc) Sky will continue with them think they got 3rd so you can tell what sort of games are going to be shown

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4975632.stm

I think that's choice of programming slots, NOT choice of matches!

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I think that's choice of programming slots, NOT choice of matches!

But the 4pm on Sunday is normally the choice match of the weekend.

 

[Wozza]

But the 4pm on Sunday is normally the choice match of the weekend.

But presumably that Sky's own decision.

 

[clapham_gull]

And most people will need to go out and buy a new box with top up enabled

( Won't work with the cheaper boxes )

 

[Rookie]

I think that's choice of programming slots, NOT choice of matches!

the A slot is the choice of the top game for the weekend and then B, C etc etc

Sky are not going to pay nearly a billion £ more than any competitor if they are not getting a guarantee of the top games are they

 

[elwheelio]

for some reason I'm getting all the sky channels including all the movies and sport for free through my freeview box at the moment

 

[Wozza]

the A slot is the choice of the top game for the weekend and then B, C etc etc

Sky are not going to pay nearly a billion £ more than any competitor if they are not getting a guarantee of the top games are they

Yeah, fair point, but there are rules in place to stop them showing Man Utd and Chelsea every week.

Just most weeks.

 

[clapham_gull]

I'm sure I'm not missing something here.

You'd be expected to buy one of the new generation boxes.

I understand the way top up TV works has changed recently.

The boxes that allow subscription services are £100 odd quid.

The basic boxes (like the one I've just bought for £40) will be unable to receive the service.

 

[desprateseagull]

that reminds me.. whatever happened to topuptv..?!