Are they the English or British rights rock? Am I correct in saying that the revenue from the sale of the tv rights will only go to English Clubs and not spread more evenly. If it is only English rights how are the Scottish rights sold?
They are UK rights Larry. Not sure how the money is split between England and Scotland.
BBC wins TV rights to Formula One
Formula One is to return to BBC TV after 13 years following ITV’s decision to pull out of its deal to air the championship at the end of this season.
A new five-year exclusive deal understood to be worth around 200m across TV, radio, broadband and mobile has been signed between the BBC and Formula One Administration Ltd.
It will run from 2009 to 2013, inclusive, replacing ITV’s existing deal, which was due to run until 2010.
The BBC director of sports rights, Dominic Coles, said: "The biggest motorsporting event in the world is returning home after 12 years.
"We were delighted when Bernie Ecclestone approached us about the return of F1 to the BBC.
“F1 is a crown jewel of sports broadcasting, so to bring the rights back to their traditional home from 2009 is tremendously exciting.”
An ITV spokesman said: "ITV plc today confirmed that it has decided to exit Formula One at the end of this season.
“This was a straightforward commercial decision for ITV and we’re pleased in that Formula One will continue to broadcast free-to-air.”
The move has taken many by surprise as attention has been focused on the rights to Champions League football.
One commentator said ITV’s decision is likely to have been made for commercial reasons: "With the rise of Lewis Hamilton it is not a surprise to me that the BBC wanted Formula One back.
“Plus, so many races run in off-peak, the BBC can provide the airtime.”
It looks like the Setanta lads are now going to ignore any approaches to buy the company from them. From today’s Indo:
Setanta captains boot 1bn sell-off into touch
By Laura Noonan
Tuesday April 08 2008
IRISH broadcasting giant Setanta yesterday confirmed that it is no longer exploring a much mooted 1bn sale.
The development comes just two months after Setanta announced it was examining offers from at least five US and UK companies.
“It’s probably more accurate to say it (the sale process) never started,” said corporate development director Richard Brooke.
“We had some informal approaches and needed to deal with them, but we are not minded to spend any more time on this now.”
Borne out of two Irishmen’s desire to watch an Italia 90 game in a London pub, Setanta has become a major force in the UK sports market after splashing out close to 550m on rights for Premiership football, the FA Cup and a swathe of England home games.
Investment
That investment saw Setanta report “entirely planned” loses of €48m in 2006, expecting “even higher” losses for 2007 before breaking even in late 2008, Mr Brooke has said.
Some sources suggested potential buyers had been put off by the broadcaster’s bumper price tag as it has yet to turn a profit, while others blamed the credit crunch.
“I think the timing was wrong,” said one Setanta source, hinting that Setanta always intended to become profitable before selling up.
“We weren’t particularly looking to sell and the markets weren’t going to help. We are under no pressure to do anything and shareholders would prefer to wait.”
Had the sale gone through at the 1bn level, founders Mickey O’Rourke and Leonard Ryan would have shared a massive windfall, thanks to the 25pc of the group they retain along with a handful of senior executives.
TV3 owner Doughty Hanson and Benchmark Capital each own about 20pc of the broadcaster, while private clients of Davy’s and Goldman Sachs own most of the remaining 35pc.
Potential buyers were believed to include ESPN, ITV, BT and Virgin Media group.
Setanta consistently maintained there was “no firm sale process” although Goldman Sachs was examining proposals on its behalf. Ryan and O’Rourke even sent an email to staff confirming the company wasn’t “up for sale”.
RTE have announced their success in retaining their Champions League coverage from 2009-2012. But when you actually read the article in full it appears they’ve only the rights to Wednesday night matches from the season after next so I guess either Setanta or TV3 outbid them for Tuesday night coverage. It seems it’s reverting to the way it is over in England, with ITV having choice for one of the nights and Sky having the other.
RT Sport wins Champions League rights
Tuesday, 3 June 2008 19:36
RT Sport have announced that it has won the most Champions League rights of any Irish terrestrial television channel from September 2009 until 2012.
RT has secured the premium package of exclusive Irish terrestrial rights to Wednesday night matches with exclusive coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final and the UEFA Super Cup, which amounts to eighteen live matches on RT Two.
Wednesday night highlights and a weekly magazine programme are also part of the package.
Coverage on RT.ie will include live simulcasts plus clip rights of Wednesday night matches with rights secured for coverage on RT.ie mobile also.
Glen Killane, Group Head of Sport, RT, said today: 'We’re delighted to continue to deliver UEFA Champions League live coverage to fans in Ireland free-to-air until 2012.
'In the current competitive climate, securing the most coverage of any terrestrial television channel in Ireland with the premium package for Wednesday night matches - including the final - is no mean feat for a public service broadcaster.
‘We look forward to continuing to bring our audience the high quality coverage of this and other key international tournaments such as the FAI domestic and international matches up until 2014; RBS 6 Nations until 2013; Euro 2008; Olympics 2008 and 2012; World Cup 2010 and 2014 and Rugby Autumn Internationals to 2009.’
RT will continue to broadcast live UEFA Champions League first-pick matches on both Tuesday and Wednesday night in the 2008-2009 season.
tv 3 have the tuesday night…we will have john toshack back on going on about jewventus or however he mispronounces it…
Oh dear God - not John ‘I discovered Geremiiiiiii’ Toshack and Packie Bonner’s complete inability to read the autocue and Mark ‘Arguuuuaaaaaaably and Invariiiaaaably’ Lawrenson forgetting that he’s in Ireland and not England for the purposes of this particular broadcast and Trevor ‘That was a chance then’ Welch in commentary with Tony ‘I’m actually playing a poker tournament in Monaco next week’ Cascarino beside him. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
i always thought that frank stapleton and kevin moran were both brilliant to watch the odd time they used to be on it…pure car crash tv…frank is the most uncharismatic man you could have on tv and looks like he is shitting himself while moran who im sure is an intelligent guy(think he is an agent now) but just isnt able to get his point across eloquently and comes across as a moron…
Ah that’s shite news altogether. Bad as RT can be at least they’re entertaining. TV3 have been nothing but brutal since the start. So Setanta Ireland have nothing anymore do they?
By the way what’s Ronnie Whelan doing on RT now? Thought he was a TV3 man. If he’s the replacement for Brady then we’re fucked.
I don’t know what the impact on Setanta is but I’d be surprised if they lost out completely given the rights they’ve secured over the last couple of years. Maybe they have second choice of match on both nights still?
Ronnie was indeed on TV3 the season before last but he’s been on RTE all this season - moreso as a ‘B team’ type pundit, along with Kenny Cunningham and Trevor Steven. He stepped up for the Ireland game last week so it could be a sign of things to come.
While nothing is finalised I understand Setanta will be retaining their rights to second choice matches.
Setanta (Ireland) have secured the rights to the Magners League for another season anyway.
SPL agrees TV deal with Sky-ESPN
Scottish Premier League has agreed a 65m deal with Sky and ESPN to screen 60 live matches each season until the end of season 2011-12.
There is an option for two more seasons with the new broadcast grouping.
The 12 SPL clubs voted on the proposal at the league’s annual meeting at Hampden Park on Thursday.
Sky-ESPN’s deal replaces the one agreed with collapsed broadcaster Setanta, but the clubs will earn about half what they would have earned under that deal.
UP until now Celtic have made no official comment regarding the sale of SPL Football rights and revenue.
But Celtic supporters - indeed all those who have the interests of Scottish football at heart – have the right to know Celtic’s view on the debacle surrounding one of the most important issues facing Scottish football in recent decades.
At today’s meeting Celtic made plain our view on the extent and consequences of the damage to the Scottish game of the misjudged handling of the whole issue, particularly last year’s decision to opt for Setanta.
The responsibility for these decisions lies both with the collective and the leadership of the SPL. The lessons of this affair cannot just be ignored.
Celtic Chairman John Reid said today: “Celtic have a responsibility to speak out for our supporters who will be deeply dissatisfied with the background to and outcome of today’s SPL decision and the events leading up to it.
"No-one should under-estimate the blow that has been inflicted on this club and Scottish football by the way in which the whole affair has been handled, and by the losses incurred.
"Last year’s decision to reject the Sky bid and opt for Setanta – arrived at against the strong opposition of Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen – has proved to be the disastrous misjudgement we indicated it might be, with Setanta now in administration.
"In turn, this has led to the dilemma we now find ourselves in. Today the SPL accepted a bid that is less than half the value of that offered by Sky last year. The whole SPL is now a commercial victim, in an uncompetitive TV market, in the middle of a recession, locked in for years to an income some 60% lower than last year’s bid.
"This is the direct consequence of last year’s misjudgement, one that has cost us all some 70million in a sport that desperately needs the income and where our supporters are already paying their own hard-earned cash.
"To Celtic it means a potential loss of up to 12million over the four-year period – the equivalent of around 6,500 season tickets each year.
"We need to face up to some harsh realities. In an environment crying out for long-term thinking, this concentration on short-term gain only leads to long-term pain.
"Above all, the SPL must learn the lessons of these events. That is why we initiated discussion with Rangers Football Club to examine possible alternatives to the present position.
“We reserve the right to continue to explore those options not only for the longer term benefit of Celtic Football Club but for everyone involved.”
Interesting stuff Larry.
I see Setanta Ireland also got the Irish rights to the EPL 3pm Saturday games. So that’s Magners and EPL so far - lack of SPL is a big loss for them though.
[quote=“Rocko”]Interesting stuff Larry.
I see Setanta Ireland also got the Irish rights to the EPL 3pm Saturday games. So that’s Magners and EPL so far - lack of SPL is a big loss for them though.[/QUOTE]
Disappointing to see rights go to Sky and ESPN. Figure of 12 million in loses is really substantial. Sky’s coverage is shit also imo though this wonder will Nicholas change his opinion on Celtic no they have the rights like he did when Sky lost them.
Sky signed up La Liga for 3 more years today - thought ESPN would nip in there.
Big remaining one is NFL which looks like a fight between ESPN America (because Serie A is on ESPN standard) and SKY with BBC maybe looking to take one of the games from the package as an outside shot.
[quote=“Rocko”]Sky signed up La Liga for 3 more years today - thought ESPN would nip in there.
Big remaining one is NFL which looks like a fight between ESPN America (because Serie A is on ESPN standard) and SKY with BBC maybe looking to take one of the games from the package as an outside shot.[/quote]
What’s the story with ESPN? Have they taken over from Setanta?
They’re a separate channel, dunph. Setanta’s stuff went back on the market and they’ve purchased some of these rights.*
- This may all be wrong.
[quote=“Bandage”]They’re a separate channel, dunph. Setanta’s stuff went back on the market and they’ve purchased some of these rights.*
- This may all be wrong.[/quote]
So essentially you haven’t a clue if they’ve replaced Setanta?