Home  >  Programming Information

Print-friendly

Use the links below to access the latest programming highlights for this channel.

• Rugby
• Football

Football

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE (EPL)
The FA (Football Association) Premier League, known internationally as the English Premier League, is the worlds’ most watched sporting league.  It is both the most lucrative and the most popular.  Additionally, it is the second most valuable franchise after the NFL.

• Over 260 foreign players compete, boosting global viewership.
• Globally, nearly a billion people follow this competition (August to May).
• Twenty-clubs participate in the league including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea.  However, only four clubs have won the title: Manchester United (9), Arsenal (3), Chelsea (2) & Blackburn Rovers (1) with current title held by Manchester United.
• Annually, the bottom three clubs are relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship, while the top three teams are promoted to the EPL.
• Each club plays 38 games, for a total of 380 games per season.  Each club plays the others twice, once home and the other away.
• The top four teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the top two teams entering the group phase automatically.

Setanta Sports telecasts more than 140 LIVE & exclusive matches in the next three seasons.  On Saturdays, Setanta has first and third choice for both the 7:30am ET and 10am ET matches.  Additionally, both the Sunday 8:30am ET and Monday 3pm ET matches are first choice, and any games played Tuesdays or Wednesdays are also first picks by Setanta.
2008 UEFA EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS (Euro 2008 Qualifiers)
The European Football Championship is the number two soccer event after the World Cup.

• The qualifiers determine eligibility for the 2008 European Cup for all contenders except host nations.  In 2008, Austria and Switzerland are the host countries and thus automatically qualify for the tournament.  The qualifiers take place from August over the course of the fourteen months leading up to the Cup, which is held in June.
• The winners and runners-up from seven groups will automatically qualify for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament.
• The Euro 2004 title-holder is Greece.

Setanta has LIVE & exclusive rights to the Euro 2008 Qualifiers and will broadcast most matches LIVE.

 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (European Cup)
The Champions League is recognized as the benchmark in world club soccer, as it                 features the best clubs in Europe.

• After qualification, the 32 clubs taking part are entered into eight groups of four teams known as the group stages where teams play each other both home and away. This is followed by four rounds of home and away knock-out games.
• The final is played on a stand-alone basis at a pre-determined venue. Some of the clubs that participated in 2006-2007 are Liverpool with five titles, Manchester United (2), AC Milan (7), and Real Madrid (10), Chelsea and Arsenal.
• Aside from the obvious European interest, most of the world's top South American and African players participate in the competition by virtue of the fact that they are players on these elite teams.
• The current holder of the UEFA Champions League trophy is AC Milan, who beat Liverpool 2-1 in Athens.

Setanta Sports will show approximately 55 UEFA Champions League matches including 14 LIVE.

 

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

• Held when there is a break in competitive international fixtures.  Normally during the run up to an international tournament such as the FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship.
• These exhibition games take place among national teams and are used by national coaches to help each country confirm their squads before the major competitions take place.
• Although many top players belong to leagues outside of their native country, they return to represent their national team.
• These friendlies allow teams to showcase their skills and talents while fans become even more dedicated to their national team.

Setanta Sports will show many friendlies mostly from European countries. This season, Northern Ireland, France, Wales, and Argentina have all been featured.




THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP (The Coca Cola Championship)

• The Football League Championship is the second-highest division in the English Football League system after the FA Premier League (EPL).
• The Football League has 72 member clubs evenly divided among three divisions: the Football League Championship (top tier), Football League One and Football League Two.
• There are 24 teams per division and within the three divisions, every team plays each other twice, home and away. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. Final League position is determined by the number of points obtained in a season.
• The priority is for teams to advance to the league above and replace those relegated. Apart from the automatic promotion spots, there is an additional promotion position available for teams who finish high enough to qualify in the play-offs.
• Some of England's most famous and best-supported clubs such as Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sheffield Wednesday play in this league. 

Setanta broadcasts 60 regular season matches LIVE, including all divisional play-off games.


CARLING CUP (The Football League Cup)

• The Football League Cup is the official name of the Carling Cup.
• Played on a knockout basis, and unlike the FA Cup, only the 92 teams of the FA Premier League and the Football League can enter.
• The winners get automatic qualification for the following season's UEFA Cup unless they have already qualified for the Champions League by finishing high enough in the FA Premier League.
• All matches up to and including the quarter-finals are single matches, with extra time and a penalty shootout if necessary. The winners then progress to the next round.
• The four quarter-final winners compete in the semi-finals. These games are played over two matches, home and away, with the aggregate score used to determine the winners.
• The two semi-final winners compete to win the Cup. The final is a single match played at a neutral stadium with extra time and a penalty shootout if necessary.
• Chelsea Football Club is the current title-holder.

Setanta broadcasts at least 25 LIVE Carling Cup matches for the season.

 

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE (SPL)

• The Scottish Premier League (Bank of Scotland Premier League) is the top division within the current structure of Scottish Football Association (SFA).
• Previously known as the Scottish Football League, in 1998, the top 12 football clubs decided to split to form the Scottish Premier League.
• Since 2000, the SPL has operated a "split league format". Under this system, after 33 games each (i.e. when every club has played every other club three times, either twice away and once at home, or vice versa), the division is split into two halves.
• Clubs play a further five matches against the teams in their half of the division, taking their total to 38 games.
• The champion and runners-up qualify for the UEFA Champions League qualifying stage.
• Celtic is the current SPL champion, their fifth win since 2000.

Setanta has held exclusive international rights for the SPL for the last six years.

 

LE CHAMPIONNAT

• "Le Championnat" is the top division of French soccer and was founded in 1932. 
• It is currently structured similarly to the EPL, with relegation of the bottom 3 teams to Ligue 2 and promotion of the top three Ligue 2 teams to "Le Championnat". 
• All 20 teams play 38 games each, totaling 380 games. Top teams include Bordeaux, Lille, Lens and Marseille.
• The top three teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League with the two top teams proceeding directly to the group phase.
• Lyon is the current winner of “Le Championnat” with a total of six titles, and AS Saint-Etienne has captured the honor ten times.  

Setanta Sports will show approximately two LIVE French League games per week.




EREDIVISIE

• The "Eredivisie" is the top Dutch league.
• 18 club teams play one another twice per season.  During the season, a total of                306 games are played. 
• Unlike the EPL or "Le Championnat", the "Eredivisie" has a more complicated system           of relegation and promotion.  The top team from the lower league is promoted and the bottom team from the "Eredivisie" is relegated.  Additionally, the next two clubs from the bottom each enter a play-off series with four teams from the "Eredivisie" resulting in the    two winners from each group playing the next season in the "Eredivisie".
• PSV Eindhoven (the current champions), Ajax Amsterdam, and Feyenoord Rotterdam have dominated the Dutch league for the past thirty years with the exception of 1980/81.

Setanta Sports will broadcast one LIVE "Eredivisie" match per week.

 

AFC ASIAN CUP

• The AFC Asian Cup has been held every four years since 1956.  To accommodate a crowded sporting schedule, the tournament that was last held in 2004 will now be played every four years from 2007.
• This year, there are four host countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• The AFC Asian Cup consists of four pools of four teams.  The four co-hosts were granted automatic qualification and the remaining twelve spots were determined through a series of matches.
• Saudi Arabia and Iran have each held the title three times and will certainly be serious contenders for a fourth.
• Japan is the 2004 champion and will be looking to extend their winning streak to a third consecutive title and become the first country to claim a total of four championships. 

Setanta Sports will be showing most matches live.




MUTV (Manchester United TV)

• Manchester United FC (MUFC) is one of the most popular international football                clubs in the world. They hold nine EPL titles, including the 2006/2007 season;                       Man Utd is also a two-time Carling Cup champion, and an 11-time winner of                      the FA Cup.
• MUTV is the television channel of Man Utd featuring all MUFC matches.  From its’               studio in the heart of Old Trafford, Man Utd's home ground, the channel broadcasts               a great mix of live news, analysis programming, live reserve team matches, phone-ins, exclusive interviews with players and management, three nightly news bulletins, chat    shows (“Talk of the Devils”) and classic games. 

MUTV is found every week, exclusively on Setanta Sports.

 

CHELSEA TV

• Chelsea Football Club (FC) is one of the two most popular international football clubs in North America and is the current FA Cup champion. They have won this four times, and both the EPL and the Carling Cup three times.
• Chelsea TV is the television channel of Chelsea Football Club featuring all Chelsea FC matches including those from the EPL and Champions League.
• Chelsea TV consists of a compilation of latest club news, exclusive interviews with players and management, re-runs of Chelsea matches, behind-the-scene footage, live reserve matches and other analysis programming.  Studio location is Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home ground and official source of news about the club.

Chelsea TV is found every week, exclusively on Setanta Sports.