Setanta financial problems

*Wild Weasel* · 09-06-2009, 12:52 PM

So it seems:

Quote:

Time running out for Setanta rescue

Setanta remains on the verge of collapse as shareholders battle over whether the loss-making business could be made viable

BY Dan Sabbagh and Alexi Mostrous

Setanta came close to falling into administration this morning, but the embattled sports broadcaster was able to negotiate last minute breathing space to ensure it would survive in the short term.

The reprieve, however, was not due to the emergence of a rescue plan, and Setanta remains on the verge of collapse as shareholders battle over whether the loss-making business could be made viable.

A source close to the negotiations between Setanta and its private equity owners, Balderton Capital and Doughty Hanson, said the company’s survival “hung in the balance.” Setanta’s future would be decided “in a matter of days rather than weeks,” the source said.

Time running out for Setanta rescue - Times Online

Geege · 09-06-2009, 1:02 PM

Yes, I've just seen that on the news

They have the rights to the Australian rugby league competition (NRL) and the representative state of origin competition. I wonder if it will go back to Sky Sports

JohnG · 09-06-2009, 1:12 PM

I'm glad about this, it might mean I subscribe to Sky Sports again if they do go under. There's no way I'm going to subscribe to 2 sports channels.

Decadence · 09-06-2009, 1:38 PM

I posted in another thread about how they could save themselves...just offer an adult channel as part of their subscription service...if it shows up on your statement as setanta you're not going to get yourself in trouble with the wife or you get the bonus of sport and porn within one package price. They'd get a ton more subscriptions.

jayden28 · 09-06-2009, 1:44 PM

shame that,i liked all the boxing setanta showed,not to bothered about the foot ball as sky will most likely bring back prem plus if setanta go down.

JohnG · 09-06-2009, 1:49 PM

I'm still annoyed that they've taken the England games away from the other channels. They didn't win themselves any friends amongst England fans when they wouldn't allow anyone to show highlights.
If they go under then one of the others will get the England away games back again and that's good news as far as I'm concerned.

jabintendo · 09-06-2009, 1:53 PM

It is a shame for another company to out of buisness, but setanta's football coverage was quite poor. Their picture was one of the worst i have ever seen and i don't really like their comentators.
I would much prefer sky have all the channels because at least they invest the money like in hd, but i wouldn't suscribe to a prem plus channel again.
It would be nice to see bbc buy the rights, but i very much doubt that would happen.
(Quick question, are sky even allowed to buy the rights because they have the rest of the other football packages?)

JohnG · 09-06-2009, 2:16 PM

I believe they also didn't win any friends in their customer support department. I've read lots of tales of them messing people about over payments.

jayden28 · 09-06-2009, 2:57 PM

Some good news will come out of this,no more steve mcmananam and graig burley

.

jendo · 09-06-2009, 3:54 PM

Bunch of cowboys. They tried to scam me and I only got satisfaction after starting legal proceedings. Of course it's sad to think of employees losing there jobs particularly in the current economic climate but setanta as a company I say good riddance. I hope other companies will look at how bad customer relations can help a business model to fail and make more of an effort to keep there customers happy

FZR400RRSP · 09-06-2009, 4:04 PM

I cancelled it last week.
I would have cancelled anyway, it wasn't a reaction to the news.
Poor product.

Jim Delahunt will be out of a job though.

abhinn · 09-06-2009, 4:20 PM

I only pay £3.99 a month for there service and at that price it was acceptable , can't be arsed giving sky anymore cash, would much rather go down my local pub and watch the game

DJT75 · 09-06-2009, 4:25 PM

Good. Let me know when to open the champagne. They deserve everything they get IMO.

Steve N · 09-06-2009, 4:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnG

I believe they also didn't win any friends in their customer support department. I've read lots of tales of them messing people about over payments.

Very true.

They were featured on several watchdog type programmes for deliberately making it almost impossible to cancel and then continuing to debit customers accounts.
I'm one of many who tried to cancel but still had my account debited.
In my case for a further 3 months after they actually emailed acknowledgement of my cancellation

Scholes18 · 09-06-2009, 4:43 PM

A friend of mine decided to take advantage of setentas one month trail sometime last year , the 9.99 one iirc.

He rings up and then gets hit with a tenner connection charge their adverts didnt mention but he really wanted it for the month he was after.

Anyway he rings up to bin it off after the 31 days to be told that theyd already billed him for the 2nd month after 30 days.

All sorts of trouble then commenced trying to to get it properly cancelled and a refund.

Horrible company that wont be missed

domtheone · 09-06-2009, 4:51 PM

I don't subscribe to pay tv but if they do collapse then it cannot be good.

Sky have a huge market share as it is.

Imagine if Tesco's had 90% of market share

Whether Sky do a geat job or not, there needs to be healthy competition and there is very little at this time.

BlackCountryBob · 09-06-2009, 4:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabintendo

(Quick question, are sky even allowed to buy the rights because they have the rest of the other football packages?)

I don't think so. If memory serves the EU said the prem TV has to be split into 6 packages and no one company/broadcaster can have more than 5 so I guess another channel would come in to nab the rights off Setanta (BBC, ITV,New ESPN PPV channel; maybe even a coalition of terrestrial broadcasters).

JohnG · 09-06-2009, 5:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domtheone

I don't subscribe to pay tv but if they do collapse then it cannot be good.

Sky have a huge market share as it is.

Imagine if Tesco's had 90% of market share

Whether Sky do a geat job or not, there needs to be healthy competition and there is very little at this time.

For me it's better if only one pay tv channel has the football as that makes it cheaper, you only have to subscribe to one.

I wonder if Virgin might do something here as they give Setanta Sports away with their tv package as an incentive don't they ?

jabintendo · 09-06-2009, 5:45 PM

In reality, it is better for consumers to have just one company to show all the football, or if it is more than 1 company, the football must be shown on terrestial, because then you get the same secnario like like what happened with setanta that only in the last minute a deal was struck so people could watch highlights of croatia against england on terrestial on itv.
In an ideal world, it would great if bbc had that package but i doubt that would happen. Failing that i would rather have sky show the last package then another channel to like espn which would require another subcription.

It would also be interesting how many people took setanta for their premiership because must people i know only got it to watch boxing and european football rather then specifically getting it for prem football, because lets face it, if you want to watch the premiership most people would choose sky than setanta cost permitting.

danuk · 09-06-2009, 5:47 PM

No more Bunce's boxing hour

**Steven** · 09-06-2009, 5:52 PM

As per my post here, there will indeed need to be a replacement for Sultana to satisfy European competition law

Sky probably would not mind if Sultana somehow got dealt a 'get out of jail free' card. They will know they have a wounded animal and can adjust future bids for new PL packages accordingly

I wonder if ESPN/American networks will return into the frame now...

neilios · 09-06-2009, 5:54 PM

This was on talksport this afternoon ,i hope they do go under the england international games should be on the bbc not some ppv channel ,disgrace.

Rorifett · 09-06-2009, 5:58 PM

I'm in the midst of problems with cancelling my setanta, I went on the website which directed me to their customer services phonelines which advised me to send an email or letter, sent letter and waited for last payment to come out. Got what I thought was a cancellation letter then a few days later I cancelled my DD details, got a call saying did I want to return to Setanta and they were sorry I was leaving etc. Then I get a call saying they're sending my details to a debt collection agency, two emails later (no response from them) a couple more phonecalls which have been referred to head office to investigate (no response) and a whole bunch of other ***** I've had to deal with with them....

Can't say I'll miss them lol feel bad for all the folks losing jobs but the company deserves this to happen.

hdsport · 09-06-2009, 7:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilios

This was on talksport this afternoon ,i hope they do go under the england international games should be on the bbc not some ppv channel ,disgrace.

All competitive England games that the FA hold the rights to are live on terrestrial tv and have been since 2001.

Away games are sold by the individual foreign FA and personally I'd find a bit rich if we were to go and tell the Kazakh FA or whoever they have to sell the rights to a FTA broadcaster rather than cash-in on 'winning' the lottery and selling to the highest bidder.

By the way Setanta are/were subscription not PPV big difference. Only one England game has ever been PPV (Finland away in 2000) and U-Direct went bust soon after!

It's a shame (but not too surprising) for me there can never be enough sports channels!!

Now ESPN can roll into town (if they want to) at a fraction of cost of what they would of have had to pay if they were to buy Setanta outright previously.

neilios · 09-06-2009, 8:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdsport

All competitive England games that the FA hold the rights to are live on terrestrial tv and have been since 2001.

Away games are sold by the individual foreign FA and personally I'd find a bit rich if we were to go and tell the Kazakh FA or whoever they have to sell the rights to a FTA broadcaster rather than cash-in on 'winning' the lottery and selling to the highest bidder.

By the way Setanta are/were subscription not PPV big difference. Only one England game has ever been PPV (Finland away in 2000) and U-Direct went bust soon after!

It's a shame (but not too surprising) for me there can never be enough sports channels!!

Now ESPN can roll into town (if they want to) at a fraction of cost of what they would of have had to pay if they were to buy Setanta outright previously.

I stand corrected a subscripion ,still a rip off.

Doctor_AB · 09-06-2009, 10:26 PM

Whilst i feel sorry for those about to lose their jobs this company is terrible.
They raise prices and inform you in rather obtuse letters or e mails. Cancellation is / was very difficult. T&C change free and loose (eg notice period changes from 30 to 60 days with no notice). Cancellations can suddenly only be effected by writing, not even fax or e mail (realise that this then changed). dreadful company, good riddance.

DJT75 · 10-06-2009, 9:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domtheone

I don't subscribe to pay tv but if they do collapse then it cannot be good.

Sky have a huge market share as it is.

Imagine if Tesco's had 90% of market share

Whether Sky do a geat job or not, there needs to be healthy competition and there is very little at this time.

There isn't any competition though, they're selling different products. You can choose to go into any supermarket & buy a can of Coke, you can't choose which channel you want to watch Spurs v Villa on & only pay that channel. For anyone wanting to watch ALL Premier League football games it has cost them £10-£13 more per month, or more than double what Premiership+ was costing them if they were sensible enough to get a £50 season ticket.