Setanta screwed?

[Maldini]

shite

[barosrocks]

I'm almost certain that Prem Plus will reappear.

 

But Prem Plus was Sky wasn't it

[WaltonRed]

Prem plus was SKY

 

Whats happening to people who have it like me then? Should we cancel it?

[hamstrung]

I have. Depends when your payment is I s'pose. Mine was a week back so it seemed reasonable to do so. It takes them about 5 minutes to set it back up, should the need arise.

[George Costanza]

good fucking riddance

[Paul]

So have they actually gone bust, or are they still in existence minus Premiership football? What happens to LFC TV if you cancel Setanta? I want to keep it but I don't want to pay £13 a month for the privilege. Also, how do you cancel Setenta? Are their phone lines up and running or do you just cancel your direct debit?

[drewy]

I think they'll fold Paul, nobody in their right mind is going to pay £13 nicker for nothing.

 

The board of troubled broadcaster Setanta is "considering its options" after a key football contract was cancelled. Skip related content

 

A potential deal with US tycoon Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, thought to be worth £20 million in return for a 51% stake in the broadcaster, collapsed after "a number of issues" were not resolved in time, the investor said.

 

The news comes as a further blow for Setanta, which on Friday lost its licence to broadcast 46 Premier League football matches next season after failing to meet "certain contractual obligations".

 

In a statement, the Premier League said: "It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations.

 

"As such, the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect."

 

Setanta is attempting to stave off administration by raising funds to help pay TV rights bills, which include the FA Cup and Scottish Premier League (SPL).

 

The broadcaster released a statement which said: "The board of Setanta notes the statement issued by the Premier League and will consider its options over the weekend. In the meantime, Setanta's sports channels continue on air."

 

Setanta was given a deadline of Friday to meet demands relating to the final season of its £392 million three-year deal.

 

The Premier League had already launched an emergency tender of the matches, which are for the 2009/10 season, and they will now go ahead with the sale.

 

It was hoped Mr Blavatnik could prove a white knight for the Irish firm, which started taking new subscriptions again this week on hopes of a rescue. Big Brother maker Endemol has also been linked with an investment.

 

Setanta board 'considering options' - Yahoo! News UK

[Bellflower]

Just cancelled my DD and sent them an e-mail telling them I'm cancelling subscription. Don't bother trying to ring their contact number............

[hamstrung]

Its posted earlier in the thread, but the email is requests@setanta.com

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

So have they actually gone bust, or are they still in existence minus Premiership football? What happens to LFC TV if you cancel Setanta? I want to keep it but I don't want to pay £13 a month for the privilege. Also, how do you cancel Setenta? Are their phone lines up and running or do you just cancel your direct debit?

 

Don't think they've gone yet. No doubt they will soon though. They are royally fucked though as they've expanded 10 fold since they got the contracts for both Scottish and Premiership rights. They will have to downsize completely. Loads of redundancies and people jumping ship and probably go into administration sooner rather than later with pretty much everyone cancelling their subscriptions.

 

Safest way is just to cancel the direct debit and to send them an e-mail as Hamstrung has suggested.

 

Luckily I've never paid them a single penny as all Setanta channels have been free with my Virgin Media XL TV package.

 

Not sure what happens with LFCTV though.

[DJLJ]

According to this, they look likely to go into administration on monday:

Setanta Sports near collapse after losing live soccer rights - The Irish Times - Sat, Jun 20, 2009

 

Setanta Sports near collapse after losing live soccer rights

In this section »

 

* New Lisbon referendum in October as EU gives guarantees

* Only 19 judges make voluntary contribution in lieu of levy

 

CIARÁN HANCOCK, Business Affairs Correspondent

 

DUBLIN-BASED Setanta Sports yesterday lost its prized rights to live Premier League football in England, a development that left the broadcaster on the brink of collapse.

 

This followed Setanta’s failure to tie down a £20 million investment yesterday with wealthy industrialist Len Blavatnik, which it was hoped would rescue the pay TV group.

 

The deal with Mr Blavatnik, agreed only a week ago subject to due diligence, collapsed yesterday, resulting in Setanta being unable to make a £10 million payment to the Premier League.

 

Setanta is believed to have sought an extension of this payment deadline yesterday from the Premier League, but the sports body pulled the plug on its three-year rights deal, which was entering its final season.

 

In a statement issued late yesterday, the Premier League said: “It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations. As such the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect.

 

“The Premier League will now go ahead and market the 46 UK live matches [held by Setanta] for the 2009/10 season.”

 

Setanta’s board of directors held an emergency meeting last night to explore ways of rescuing the business, which employs 450 staff, including about 200 in Ireland.

 

“The board of Setanta notes the statement issued by the Premier League and will consider its options over the weekend. In the meantime, Setanta’s sports channels continue on air,” the company said.

 

The Premier League has set June 22nd as the deadline for new bids for the rights to Setanta’s games.

 

Reports in the UK last night suggested that TopUp TV, which is controlled by Mr Blavatnik, could bid for these rights with a view to tying up with the Irish broadcaster afterwards, but this could not be confirmed.

 

If no rescue plan emerges over the weekend, Setanta could be placed into administration on Monday.

 

Setanta has spent most of the past two weeks seeking new funding to secure its future. It appeared to have netted a rescue package late last week, when Mr Blavatnik indicated his willingness to inject £20 million for a 51 per cent shareholding.

 

Commenting on the failure to agree a deal with Setanta, Access Industries, Mr Blavatnik’s investment vehicle, said: “Regrettably, despite intensive efforts on all sides over the past few days and despite significant progress in a number of areas, there remain a number of issues which we have been unable to resolve within the time available.

 

“We are disappointed not to have been able to make this deal happen.”

 

Setanta broke BSkyB’s monopoly on live Premier League football in 2006 by bidding £392 million for 46 games over three seasons. The Irish broadcaster secured 1.2 million premium subscribers, about 700,000 shy of what it needed to break even.

 

Set up in 1990 by Leonard Ryan and Michael O’Rourke, Setanta began life showing football and GAA to Irish expats in Britain and the US.

[DJLJ]

Another fucking double post...

[hamstrung]

[Paul]

Stupid question, but what are Setanta listed as for direct debits? I can see them on my statement, but not on my direct debit list.

[hamstrung]

Pretty sure it was Setenta DRL or something on mine.

[discuit]

They take it from the card not a direct debit i think

[Paul]

They take it from the card not a direct debit i think

 

Just realised that myself. On the phone to the bank right now.

[hamstrung]

You won't be able to stop that via the bank - have to be via Setanta.

[WaltonRed]

I'm sure it will come clear over the next few days.

 

If they do go in to administration then they'll tell us what to do more than likely.

 

Mine only went out the other day so I'll wait and see.

[RobbieOR]

Does anybody know do they still have the rights for the 3 o'clock kicks offs over here?

[Paul]

You won't be able to stop that via the bank - have to be via Setanta.

 

Bank reckon they can stop it due to the circumstances (I've told them I want to cancel and they're on the verge of going bust). She said that if they take another payment they should be able to recover the funds. She said she had a woman on yesterday who has been trying to cancel with Setanta for a year but they've tried every trick in the book to keep taking her money.

[Maldini]

AFAIK they do yeah, I think Setanta Ireland and Setanta US are seperate companies to Setanta UK. I could be wrong on that though.

[CWD82]

Just realised that myself. On the phone to the bank right now.

 

Put the cancellation request in writing and send it by recorded mail and keep a photocopy.

 

They can legally take one more payment during the next 30 days. If they take a subsequent payment after 30 days, having the letter and proof it reached them means you can contact your bank and they'll stop it. If you don't have proof of contact your bank will tell you to take it up with them which will be fun and games I imagine

[Pdool]

I've just emailed the bastards to cancel it. If they start messing about I'm just gonna cancel my direct debit.

[hamstrung]

Bank reckon they can stop it due to the circumstances (I've told them I want to cancel and they're on the verge of going bust). She said that if they take another payment they should be able to recover the funds. She said she had a woman on yesterday who has been trying to cancel with Setanta for a year but they've tried every trick in the book to keep taking her money.

 

Aye - after the event they can get it back, but I think even if you cancel your card they can manage to get the money if its on one of those repeat authorisations. They are best avoided.

 

Probably why that other woman had problems.