[cheadlebeagle]

When Sportsnet changes Setanta's name in October (?) will it still cost $15 a month? Also will it go HD?

 

[Tesko]

Sportsnet World will likely be like the rest of the Sportsnet feeds. Included in some package.

 

[Boca Junior]

When Sportsnet changes Setanta's name in October (?) will it still cost $15 a month? Also will it go HD?

Actually it's $17.00/month (on Bell at least) and I believe the original announcement stated it would remain a premium sports channel, so I doubt you'll any changes, at least not for some time.

Oh and it's already available in HD.

 

[longjohns_mcgee]

I think it's only HD on Bell. I switched recently to Eastlink and asked them if they had plans to offer Setanta in HD since they are charging the same price as Bell and they offer it in HD. As of then they said no. Hopefully with the change to Rogers Sportsworld this will now happen.

 

[bucketo]

As a Liverpool fan I probably shouldn't say anything but, boy, Everton look like total rubbish this year. Not that there's anything unusual about that.

hehe easy tiger. We don't have the deep pockets of our cross-town rivals at the moment.

Heads up, it appears the 2min game recaps on premierleaguelive.tv are free without a paid account or logging in at all. The 45 min require an account but at least today the 2min ones are streaming. Can be handy if you missed a match.

 

[Torontoblue]

hehe easy tiger. We don't have the deep pockets of our cross-town rivals at the moment.

Heads up, it appears the 2min game recaps on premierleaguelive.tv are free without a paid account or logging in at all. The 45 min require an account but at least today the 2min ones are streaming. Can be handy if you missed a match.

Hee hee, he's saying we looked rubbish when they had to wait until Arsenal were down to 10 men before scoring....and then it was an own goal.

2 minutes is all I could take of watching of the Everton highlights!!!! At least it's nothing new that we start rubbish!

 

[Andrew1]

Hee hee, he's saying we looked rubbish when they had to wait until Arsenal were down to 10 men before scoring....and then it was an own goal.

That own goal was the result of well applied Liverpool pressure.

Even if it does turn out to be Liverpool's year it still won't be enough for me to get a full time Setanta subscription. The quality of most of the English matches doesn't match the hype or compare in quality to La Liga and Champions League (maybe even Bundesliga?). I think I'll get enough football from those leagues as well as the occasional EPL match on TSN2 and Sportsnet to do me.

An old expat I know who only watches EPL and is on a fixed income was saying to me last week he was worried that Rogers would move all their matches to the new Setanta/Sportsnet World. I could be completely wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) but I don't think that would work for Rogers in the long term. In this country, even with all the expats, a property like the EPL doesn't have deep enough roots to maintain a fan base of any significance without frequent mainstream exposure on channels like Rogers Sportsnet and TSN. So I don't think Rogers will move too much more of their football content to Setanta where it will be out of sight and out of mind. Anyone disagree?

 

[NB Josh]

I don't. Rogers already gave Setanta about all they could when they owned a piece of the channel. The only change I see is Setanta getting first pick of Champions League matches throughout the competition. They are airing both legs of Arsenal-Udinese.

I also don't think Setanta is worth it. I get GolTV for $12 cheaper a month. 4 live La Liga games per weekend on GolTV compared to 3 live Premiership games per weekend on Setanta. Obviously I hate missing out on some of the bigger Champions League matches, but those aren't worth the $15. Then I just use a VPN to watch FA Cup (ITV shows 2 matches each round) and League Cup (BBC shows 2 semi final legs and the final) on the ITV Player and BBC iPlayer. The PQ isn't great, but Setanta SD isn't much better.

I think I'll miss the Sunday EPL even less this year with La Liga going to 10am/12pm/2pm/4pm ET Sunday kickoffs. Should be lots else on. I did miss it a bit last year after watching it on theScore for years.

 

[Obed]

Anyone disagree?

I kinda sorta disagree.
I agree in that I don't think Rogers will move more of their football content over to Sportsworld.

I disagree, because this scenario did get worked through before when theScore appeared to overbid for the Canadian rights in 2007. The first announcement was that there would be one Sunday game on the theScore. We were all left hanging as to what else was happening and then we found out about the launch of Setanta. Folks expressed outrage at being forced to pay what was then about 7 quid a month to watch Premier League.

What happened? One game a week was sublicenced back to Sportsnet, and Setanta Canada established a working business model and a core fan base willing to pay. It was the Setanta UK operation that failed catastrophically, not the Setanta Canada business model. So, commercially it would be viable and could happen, even perhaps with "extra" channels for simultaneous games. I just don't think that is Rogers current agenda.

btw Andrew - I see you are in Toronto, as I have noted before it is cheaper with Rogers to get Setanta than it is to get the occasional matches on TSN2.
Oh, and Liverpool are welcome to 5th place.

 

[NB Josh]

Here's the thing. Right now Sportsnet only has 2 Premiership games. The Saturday 10am ET game (Setanta already airs one there) and the Saturday afternoon game. If they want to keep people subscribing to Sportsnet One, then they will keep the Saturday afternoon game on that channel. Selling some 50 games a season to TSN2 helps pay the bills since the Premiership contract costs a lot of money.

So, in summary, I don't think anything is changing.

 

[bucketo]

I've subbed to Setanta for a few years now and they are actually moving more live EPL games off Setanta and over to other networks, that could be because soccer is getting more popular or it could be other reasons such as makign more off our $16.99/month by showing less live EPL, who knows.. I emailed them last year about this trend to which they responded "We now show more live and delayed EPL games". Ok sure, but the delayed content is now way higher than live. The rugby content has also increased a fair bit while the EPL has gone down during the period.

In my case I want as much EPL on Setanta as I can get since I don't have cable. Having said that I've cancelled my Setanta-i sub and am trying other alternatives to get my EPL, Carling Cup and FA Cup fixes...

 

[Wayne]

I don't know that the Rugby Union content on Setanta has increased as they are showing the same competitions that they have always shown, however they will not have the Rugby World Cup this fall as it will be on TSN and TSN2. But I do believe they have more Rugby League than they used to.

 

[Andrew1]

btw Andrew - I see you are in Toronto, as I have noted before it is cheaper with Rogers to get Setanta than it is to get the occasional matches on TSN2.

According to a Rogers brochure I could get TSN2 as part of the Digital VIP for $63.99 + tax p/m. That's pretty much what I'm paying with Shaw Direct without Setanta but with Gol TV. I haven't looked in depth at it but I think you pretty much end up paying the same no matter which cable/satellite company you use.

Oh, and Liverpool are welcome to 5th place

Within striking distance of a Champions League place!

Speaking of CL I see Setanta, not Sportsnet, will be showing the Arsenal match on Wednesday. Without doubt that is the #1 choice match that day.

however they will not have the Rugby World Cup this fall as it will be on TSN and TSN2.

If they'd got the WC rights this year I would've held on to it until the tournament ended.

 

[Overlord0102]

Yes you can get Gaelic Football on setanta in Canada, just subscribe through your service provider to Setanta, it's about $16/month mainly full of European soccer, but you get some good Rugby Union and League on there too
Hope this helps

 

[Overlord0102]

Well Setanta already is HD so I assume it will still be available when the name changes

 

[The White Pele]

Quality was atrocious in the Italy v Slovenia game today. I think it was more down to the source, than Setanta though... still.

 

[cheadlebeagle]

Setanta is not in HD on Shaw.

 

[milton123]

Also not in HD on Cogeco. I won't be subscribing again, after the free preview ends this weekend.

Hoping it might be available in HD once it changes to SN World ?

 

[NB Josh]

If so, I'd guess its just coincidence. Rogers has owned the channel for a few months now. The rebranding is really just a name change.

 

[The White Pele]

I've been experiencing slight audio problems with Setanta for about 3 days or so. Audio cuts out for literally a millisecond about every minute. This is only happening on Setanta.... lame, it's annoying.

Anyone else having the same problem?