Eir Sport 1

Eir Sport 1 was an Irish sports television channel operated within the Eir Sport package. It began broadcasting in August 2004 under the name Setanta Ireland, initially appearing as a bonus channel on the UPC cable platform in the Republic of Ireland while also being offered as a subscription service on Sky Ireland. The channel formed part of Setanta Sports’ wider effort to serve Irish audiences and Irish expatriates with domestic and international sporting coverage. The channel’s programming combined Irish sports with selected international rights. Its schedule included League of Ireland football, the Setanta Sports Cup, Irish national-team football, Gaelic games, golf, rugby, horse racing, tennis, American sports, motorsport, boxing, athletics and sports magazine programming. Irish coverage was particularly important to its identity: the service carried Allianz League and GAA championship programming, League of Ireland matches and Irish sporting documentaries, while also offering selected rights from competitions such as the Masters, The Open Championship, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, the NFL, NBA, NHL and NASCAR. Some programming was live, while other content consisted of highlights, magazine shows, deferred coverage and studio productions. Setanta Ireland developed its distribution and rights portfolio during the 2010s. In June 2013, Setanta agreed to distribute BT Sport channels in the Republic of Ireland, expanding the package available to Irish viewers to include BT Sport and ESPN services. In the same period, the channel acquired the Republic of Ireland rights to Premier League highlights, replacing RTÉ’s previous arrangement. The highlights programme Premier League Central became one of the channel’s notable football productions. Setanta also had a commercial relationship with the Setanta Sports Cup, an annual cross-border football competition that it sponsored from 2005 to 2014. The service expanded its technical offering with the launch of Setanta HD on 23 November 2010. This high-definition simulcast was described as the first Irish-owned HD channel in the Republic of Ireland. On 5 July 2016, following Eir’s acquisition of Setanta’s Irish channels in November 2015, Setanta Ireland was renamed Eir Sport 1. Eir made the Eir Sport package available through a number of distribution platforms, including Eir TV, Sky Ireland and Vodafone TV, and offered it at no additional charge to qualifying Eir broadband customers. Eir Sport 1 also participated in a distribution exchange with Virgin Media Ireland. A 2019 agreement provided for Virgin Media Sport to be carried on Eir Vision and Eir Sport 1 to be carried by Virgin Media Ireland. The arrangement ended for Eir Sport 1 on Virgin Media Ireland in August 2020 after Eir declined to pay the contracted distribution licence fee. Eir announced on 19 May 2021 that its sports channels would close. Eir Sport 1 ceased in Northern Ireland on 30 June 2021 and closed completely on 28 October 2021. Its closure, together with the earlier shutdown of Eir Sport 2, ended the Eir Sport channel operation.

Eir Sport 1 originated as Setanta Ireland, a channel created within the Setanta Sports business to serve sports viewers in Ireland. Setanta Sports itself was formed in 1990 with a focus on broadcasting Irish sporting events to Irish expatriates. The Irish television channel launched in August 2004 on the UPC cable platform, where it initially operated as a free bonus channel, and was also offered as a paid service on Sky Ireland. Its launch gave Irish viewers a dedicated service combining local competitions with selected international sports rights. During its Setanta period, the channel built a mixed schedule rather than concentrating on a single sport. Football included League of Ireland fixtures, Irish national-team coverage, the Setanta Sports Cup, selected continental competitions, magazine programmes and Premier League-related content. The service also carried GAA, rugby, golf, horse racing, tennis, motorsport, American sports and boxing. Its in-house output included sports news and highlights programmes such as The Hub and The Sports Show, along with Irish sports documentaries and a simulcast of the Newstalk programme Off The Ball. For a short period beginning in 2011, it also experimented with music programming and Irish films. The channel’s technical development included the launch of Setanta HD on 23 November 2010. The service was presented as the first Irish-owned high-definition channel in the Republic of Ireland. Setanta had previously hoped to launch an HD service in time for the 2008–09 Premier League season, but the eventual launch occurred later. Setanta expanded its Irish sports package in 2013 through a three-year agreement with BT Sport. The arrangement brought BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN to the Republic of Ireland package, with BT Sport Europe later added for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches. In August 2013, Setanta Ireland also began carrying Premier League highlights for the Irish market. The programme Premier League Central replaced RTÉ’s previous highlights arrangement and was presented by Connor Morris. Setanta’s Premier League highlights rights later moved to Sky Sports Ireland from the 2016–17 season. Eir acquired Setanta Sports’ Irish channels in November 2015. On 5 July 2016, Setanta Ireland was renamed Eir Sport 1, while the wider service continued to be distributed as the Eir Sport package. Eir made the package available through Eir TV, Sky Ireland and Vodafone TV. It was also offered without an additional charge to qualifying Eir broadband customers. The package served residential subscribers and commercial venues, with programming spanning football, Gaelic football, hurling, golf, cricket, rugby union, rugby league and boxing. Eir Sport 1’s distribution changed again in 2019 when Eir and Virgin Media Ireland agreed to carry each other’s sports channels on their respective platforms. The arrangement did not last. On 13 August 2020, Virgin Media Ireland removed Eir Sport 1 after Eir refused to pay the agreed distribution licence fee. On 19 May 2021, Eir announced the closure of all its sports channels. Eir Sport 1 ceased broadcasting in Northern Ireland on 30 June 2021, while Eir Sport 2 closed on 20 July. Eir Sport 1 ultimately shut down in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere on 28 October 2021, ending the channel’s seventeen-year run under the Setanta and Eir brands.

• 2021

  Eir Sport 1 closes

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  After Eir announced the closure of its sports channels, Eir Sport 1 ended broadcasting on 28 October.

• 2016

  Setanta Ireland becomes Eir Sport 1

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  The channel was renamed Eir Sport 1 on 5 July.

• 2015

  Eir acquires Setanta’s Irish channels

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  Eir acquired the Irish Setanta Sports channels in November.

• 2013

  BT Sport distribution agreement

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  Setanta added BT Sport and ESPN channels to its Republic of Ireland package under a multi-year distribution agreement.

• 2010

  Setanta HD launches

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  A high-definition simulcast launched on 23 November as Setanta HD.

• 2004

  Setanta Ireland launches

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  The channel launched in August on the UPC platform and was also made available as a subscription service on Sky Ireland.

• 1990

  Setanta Sports is formed

  [1]Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org

  Setanta Sports was established to facilitate broadcasts of Irish sporting events for Irish expatriate audiences.

A broad Irish sports broadcaster combining domestic sports coverage with selected international competitions and magazine programming. The channel positioned itself as an accessible component of a wider sports package distributed through Irish television platforms and, for eligible Eir broadband customers, included with broadband service.

• Sports television channel · 2016

  Eir Sport 1

  The principal Eir Sport channel and the renamed successor to Setanta Ireland. It broadcast a broad mix of Irish and international sport, including League of Ireland football, GAA, rugby, golf, horse racing, tennis, motorsport, American sports and studio programming. It was distributed through Irish television platforms and to some Eir broadband customers as part of the Eir Sport package.

• Sports television channel · 2004

  Setanta Ireland

  The original identity of the channel, launched in 2004. Under the Setanta name it developed a distinctly Irish sports schedule and carried both domestic competitions and selected international rights before being rebranded Eir Sport 1.

• High-definition television simulcast · 2010

  Eir Sport 1 HD

  The high-definition simulcast of the channel. It launched on 23 November 2010 as Setanta HD and later followed the main service through the Eir Sport 1 rebrand.

• 2005Setanta Sports Cup sponsorship

  Ireland · Northern Ireland

  Setanta sponsored the annual cross-border football tournament involving clubs from the League of Ireland and the Irish Football League. The sponsorship linked the broadcaster’s brand to domestic Irish football.

  Outcome. The sponsorship continued through 2014.

  Source

• 2021

  Close the Eir Sport channelsOther

  Background

  Eir announced on 19 May that its sports channels would be discontinued before the end of the year.

  Action taken

  Eir Sport 1 closed in Northern Ireland on 30 June and shut down completely on 28 October; Eir Sport 2 closed on 20 July.

  Aftermath

  The closure ended the Eir Sport television channel operation.

  Source

• 2020

  End carriage on Virgin Media IrelandStrategy

  Background

  A 2019 carriage agreement had provided for Eir Sport 1 to be distributed on Virgin Media Ireland.

  Action taken

  Eir declined to pay the contracted distribution licence fee, and Virgin Media Ireland removed Eir Sport 1 on 13 August 2020.

  Aftermath

  The channel lost carriage on Virgin Media Ireland while continuing on other available platforms until its eventual closure.

  Source

• 2016

  Rebrand Setanta Ireland as Eir Sport 1Strategy

  Background

  Eir acquired Setanta’s Irish channels in November 2015 and sought to integrate them into the Eir brand.

  Action taken

  Setanta Ireland was renamed Eir Sport 1 on 5 July 2016, while the related package continued across multiple Irish distribution platforms.

  Aftermath

  The channel operated under the Eir Sport identity until its closure in October 2021.

  Source

• 2013

  Expand the Irish package through BT Sport distributionStrategy

  Background

  Setanta sought to broaden the value of its Republic of Ireland sports package by adding the newly established BT Sport service.

  Action taken

  It agreed to distribute BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN, with BT Sport Europe added later for European club competitions.

  Aftermath

  The agreement expanded the package to six channels at one stage, but the Irish distribution arrangement ended in 2019 when Sky took over BT’s Irish distribution rights.

  Source

1. 1Eir Sport 1en.wikipedia.org