Setanta Sports / FSC+ Update

Scott Greczkowski

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This just published the following update regarding Setanta Sports / FSC+ to the retailer website.

Here it is...
Setanta Sports has decided to close its doors and discontinue its programming in the United States effective February 28, 2010 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Fortunately, Setanta Sports has come to terms with Fox to transfer select programming rights, including many premium soccer and rugby events. Fox will be launching a new channel, Fox Soccer Plus, which will carry some of the programming that aired on Setanta Sports.

DISH Network is actively pursuing a deal to carry this new service. We will keep you updated on our progress with negotiations and how this will impact your customers.

Press Release from Setanta Sports regarding the change:

New York, NY, January 27th, 2010 – Setanta Sports has today announced that it has reached an agreement with Fox to transfer select programming rights, including many premium soccer and rugby events. Fox will acquire these rights effective March 1, 2010.

Setanta Sports also announced that it will cease broadcasting its channel in the United States and the Caribbean on February 28th 2010.

For the remainder of January and throughout February, Setanta will continue to broadcast normally and will feature its usual line up of top games from the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Heineken Cup, Magners League and Guinness Premiership.
 
Boy you'd think Dish would have already negotiated a deal for this channel when they got FSC HD.

''actively pursuing a deal'' is dish speak for: you may or may not ever see this channel.
 
Too many good things are happening to us lately...I came 2 years ago from Comcast and what did i get? Over 100 hd channels, the best dvr, hockey in hd, and now soccer in hd.The only thing i wish for now is 922 rcv. he
 
Glad I got my 110/119/61.5 to EA dishes switched today. I did it mainly so I could see FSC HD. Well worth the $15 service fee. You know if FSC+ HD Airs on Dish, "SOON" it won't be on 61.5 but up on 72.7. Hopefully FSC+ HD would be included in either one of the HD packs or worse comes to worse the Multi-Sports Pack. I just dropped the Multi-Sports Pack, now that I don't need it for the NFL Red-zone HD, but would pick it up before the NFL season kicks off, if FSC+ HD be included there. I haven't subscribed to Sentana Sports because of how costly it was. Hopefully, Charlie would just give it to his best customers for free! You know that's not gonna happen.
 
I have seen paperwork for the upink to be ready to cutover to FSC+ if a deal is done in time. From what I am hearing IF they get FSC+ it will cost the same as Setanta.
 
Scott Do You have any knowledge to which satellite the Fox soccer + channel will go if the deal is reached?
 
DirecTV and FIOS have now both confirmed that they are replacing Setanta with an SD version of Fox Soccer Plus, in the same channel number and at the same price. On those providers, Setanta subscribers will automatically be shifted to Fox Soccer Plus (unless they call, of course).

I would guess that Dish negotiations are taking longer, because both Fox and Dish would like to launch Fox Soccer Plus in HD, and Dish is clearly the only provider currently with extra HD channel space.

So, undoubtedly they are haggling over how much of a discount Dish would get to launch it in HD now (which helps Fox because it would then force D* and cable to do likewise asap).
 
I have seen paperwork for the upink to be ready to cutover to FSC+ if a deal is done in time. From what I am hearing IF they get FSC+ it will cost the same as Setanta.

For what little time I have to watch, $15/mo. is a bit too steep for me. I had hoped something more reasonable would be available.
 
I don't think I'd spend the $14.99, but FSC faces a problem: if a provider has FSC-HD then I would think that mitigates the impact of an FSC+ in SD. It would clearly be in Fox's interests to make sure that, if FSC is carried in HD then FSC+ is, as well.
 
For what little time I have to watch, $15/mo. is a bit too steep for me. I had hoped something more reasonable would be available.

Yea I can't see spending the extra $15 for just that channel. I'm a huge soccer fan and could never justify the extra $15 for Sentanta, and will not pay it when they move to FS+ either.

It would nice if they'd put it in the Sports Pack with the Redzone Channel, then I'd keep the Sports Pack all year, instead of just during the NFL season.
 
I would consider adding FSC+ if it were HD. I definitely would not add it if it's only SD. Watching games on the current Setanta is like watching a streaming video from a 15 year old webcam.

I'm guessing the hold up in negotiations is either over HD (like KStuart mentioned) or perhaps Dish's desire to add it to the multi-sports pack.

With the addition of the Red Zone Channel and possibly FSC+ HD to the multi-sports pack I could see Dish raising the Multi Sporst pack price to $9.99 or even $14.99/month.
 
If this was added in HD to the multisports pack, I would sub to it. I have international programming so Setanta is currently only $10/month, but I can't justify that for one channel.
 
I would consider adding FSC+ if it were HD. I definitely would not add it if it's only SD. Watching games on the current Setanta is like watching a streaming video from a 15 year old webcam.

I'm guessing the hold up in negotiations is either over HD (like KStuart mentioned) or perhaps Dish's desire to add it to the multi-sports pack.

With the addition of the Red Zone Channel and possibly FSC+ HD to the multi-sports pack I could see Dish raising the Multi Sporst pack price to $9.99 or even $14.99/month.


If FSC+ HD were added to the sports pack, I would have to seriously consider adding it to my programming. Otherwise $15/mo. is just too much.
 
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