Originally Posted by mlt11:
“BT Sport has clearly assembled a significantly better sports rights portfolio than ESPN currently has. But how does it compare to Setanta in 2008/09? I think the main rights break down as follows:
Setanta 2008/09:
- 46 PL games (Sat 5.30pm slot, no 1st picks) [vs 92 PL games on Sky]
- FA Cup secondary package
- England away World Cup qualifiers
- England home friendlies
- SPL (exclusive???)
- Several European football leagues
- US PGA Tour golf
- Boxing (inc Hatton, Haye, Calzaghe)
- Setanta Sports News channel
- US Sports channel (NASN)
BT Sport 2013/14:
- 38 PL games (Sat 12.45pm slot, 18 1st picks) [vs 116 PL games on Sky]
- FA Cup secondary package
- SPL secondary package
- Europa League (3rd and 4th picks)
- Several European football leagues
- Aviva Premiership rugby
- Womens WTA Tennis
- US Sports channel (ESPNA)
It's easy to forget that in 2007/10 Setanta (/ ESPN) had 46 live PL games against only 92 on Sky. BT has the significant advantage of 18 1st picks (though we don't yet know quite how good these will prove to be) but it has 8 fewer games (38 compared to 46) and a worse timeslot. Sky meanwhile now has 116 games compared to 92 at that point.
As far as the other rights are concerned it's a fairly close run thing - essentially boiling down to England away WC qualifiers and home friendlies, US PGA Tour golf and boxing on Setanta vs Europa League (3rd / 4th picks), Aviva Premiership and WTA tennis on BT Sport. In my view Setanta would just about edge that comparison though views will obviously differ.
Setanta then had its own sports news channel - we haven't yet heard about any such operation from BT.
Of course we have to remember BT is not finished yet and may well acquire many more rights.”
“BT Sport has clearly assembled a significantly better sports rights portfolio than ESPN currently has. But how does it compare to Setanta in 2008/09? I think the main rights break down as follows:
Setanta 2008/09:
- 46 PL games (Sat 5.30pm slot, no 1st picks) [vs 92 PL games on Sky]
- FA Cup secondary package
- England away World Cup qualifiers
- England home friendlies
- SPL (exclusive???)
- Several European football leagues
- US PGA Tour golf
- Boxing (inc Hatton, Haye, Calzaghe)
- Setanta Sports News channel
- US Sports channel (NASN)
BT Sport 2013/14:
- 38 PL games (Sat 12.45pm slot, 18 1st picks) [vs 116 PL games on Sky]
- FA Cup secondary package
- SPL secondary package
- Europa League (3rd and 4th picks)
- Several European football leagues
- Aviva Premiership rugby
- Womens WTA Tennis
- US Sports channel (ESPNA)
It's easy to forget that in 2007/10 Setanta (/ ESPN) had 46 live PL games against only 92 on Sky. BT has the significant advantage of 18 1st picks (though we don't yet know quite how good these will prove to be) but it has 8 fewer games (38 compared to 46) and a worse timeslot. Sky meanwhile now has 116 games compared to 92 at that point.
As far as the other rights are concerned it's a fairly close run thing - essentially boiling down to England away WC qualifiers and home friendlies, US PGA Tour golf and boxing on Setanta vs Europa League (3rd / 4th picks), Aviva Premiership and WTA tennis on BT Sport. In my view Setanta would just about edge that comparison though views will obviously differ.
Setanta then had its own sports news channel - we haven't yet heard about any such operation from BT.
Of course we have to remember BT is not finished yet and may well acquire many more rights.”
Yes, I agree that we forget how good Setanta's rights were.
I still think, and am happy to be proved wrong, that having missed out on the bulk of PL rights that BT are now mainly concerned about getting Sky to retail them their sports channels at a decent price. Of course they can build a half decent sports channel with non PL rights that will tempt non pay tv customers to switch, however it will never be enough to convince football fans to ditch Sky if they can't offer them the same value.



