Setanta Sports (Canada)
Encyclopedia
Sportsnet World is a Canadian English language
Category B specialty channel
owned by Rogers Media
. Sportsnet World primarily airs top level association football (soccer), featuring exclusive coverage of the Barclays Premier League along with content from other leagues in Europe. In addition, it airs matches from such sports as rugby, Rugby League
and the events from the Gaelic Athletic Association
including Gaelic football
and hurling
.
, on August 10, 2007 in time for the 2007–08 Premier League season, as a pay-per-view
(PPV) service under the auspices of Rogers' occasionally used Rogers Sportsnet PPV licence. Although operating under a PPV licence, Setanta acted as a pay TV service, with a 24-hour commercial-free schedule, rather than a PPV service where customers are prompted to pay a price for each individual event.
Rogers would later apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a category 2 digital licence which was approved on July 15, 2008 under the name Sportsnet 2.
In mid-2009, Rogers swapped licences for Setanta Sports, from using the PPV licence to the category 2 digital licence, without interrupting service; at which point, the Irish-based Setanta Sports company gained a 33.33% interest in the Rogers subsidiary that owns 80% of the channel, as well as a 20% interest in the channel itself.
In July 2011, Rogers announced that the channel would be re-branded as part of the Rogers Sportsnet family of networks on October 3, 2011, becoming Sportsnet World. In preparation for the re-branding, Rogers also acquired back the stake in the network owned by Setanta Sports. As Sportsnet World, the channel will remain a premium service, and will still air programming supplied by Setanta Sports, as the programming contracts Setanta owned were also acquired in the purchase. The re-launch would also come alongside an overall re-branding of the Sportsnet networks.
Sportsnet World broadcasts 6-7 Premier League matches each week in Canada with the remaining matches airing on TSN2
(1-2 matches), Sportsnet (1 match) and Sportsnet One (1 match). On December 4, 2009, Rogers Sportsnet announced on-air that they had secured the Premier League rights for the next three years, starting with the 2010-11 season.
simulcast of Sportsnet World's standard definition
feed. It was launched on August 1, 2010 as Setanta Sports HD. It was renamed Sportsnet World HD on October 3, 2011 to coincide with the rebranding of Setanta Sports to Sportsnet World.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Category B specialty channel
Specialty channel
A specialty channel can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted television market at a specific demographic....
owned by Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
. Sportsnet World primarily airs top level association football (soccer), featuring exclusive coverage of the Barclays Premier League along with content from other leagues in Europe. In addition, it airs matches from such sports as rugby, Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and the events from the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
including Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
.
History
The channel initially launched as Setanta Sports, in partnership with Ireland-based Setanta SportsSetanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
, on August 10, 2007 in time for the 2007–08 Premier League season, as a pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) service under the auspices of Rogers' occasionally used Rogers Sportsnet PPV licence. Although operating under a PPV licence, Setanta acted as a pay TV service, with a 24-hour commercial-free schedule, rather than a PPV service where customers are prompted to pay a price for each individual event.
Rogers would later apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a category 2 digital licence which was approved on July 15, 2008 under the name Sportsnet 2.
In mid-2009, Rogers swapped licences for Setanta Sports, from using the PPV licence to the category 2 digital licence, without interrupting service; at which point, the Irish-based Setanta Sports company gained a 33.33% interest in the Rogers subsidiary that owns 80% of the channel, as well as a 20% interest in the channel itself.
In July 2011, Rogers announced that the channel would be re-branded as part of the Rogers Sportsnet family of networks on October 3, 2011, becoming Sportsnet World. In preparation for the re-branding, Rogers also acquired back the stake in the network owned by Setanta Sports. As Sportsnet World, the channel will remain a premium service, and will still air programming supplied by Setanta Sports, as the programming contracts Setanta owned were also acquired in the purchase. The re-launch would also come alongside an overall re-branding of the Sportsnet networks.
Programming
Sportsnet World features both live and recorded events from the following leagues and competitions:Soccer
- Great Britain: Barclays Premier League, nPower ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, Carling CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland... - Europe: UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, International friendlies
Sportsnet World broadcasts 6-7 Premier League matches each week in Canada with the remaining matches airing on TSN2
TSN2
TSN2 is a secondary feed of the Canadian English language Category C specialty channel TSN, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN...
(1-2 matches), Sportsnet (1 match) and Sportsnet One (1 match). On December 4, 2009, Rogers Sportsnet announced on-air that they had secured the Premier League rights for the next three years, starting with the 2010-11 season.
Rugby
- Great Britain: Aviva Premiership, Magners League, EDF Energy CupEDF Energy CupThe Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
- New Zealand: ITM Cup
- South Africa: Currie CupCurrie CupThe Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
- International Competitions: RBS 6 NationsSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, Super 15, Tri Nations, Heineken CupHeineken CupThe Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
& Churchill CupChurchill CupThe Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams from a wide array of countries....
Rugby League
- Australia: National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
- Europe: Engage Super League
- Canada: Canada Rugby League, The Rugby League Show
Sportsnet World HD
Sportsnet World HD is a high definitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcast of Sportsnet World's standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
feed. It was launched on August 1, 2010 as Setanta Sports HD. It was renamed Sportsnet World HD on October 3, 2011 to coincide with the rebranding of Setanta Sports to Sportsnet World.
Rival channels
- EuroWorld SportEuroWorld SportEuroWorld Sport is a Canadian Category B digital cable specialty channel. It is owned by Telelatino Network Inc, a consortium primarily owned by Corus Entertainment. EuroWorld Sport primarily features programming related to association football ....
- Fox Sports World CanadaFox Sports World CanadaFox Sports World Canada is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Shaw Media. FSWC's programming primarily features association football with select programming on other world sports such as rugby....
- Gol TV Canada