Premium sports channel Setanta looks as if it is in for a rough ride. According to a new survey from Continental Research, only 1% of adults with digital TV available said they were “Very Likely” to subscribe. The data, included in Continental Research’s Digital TV 2007 Report, said 6% were “Quite likely” to subscribe, 20% “Not very likely” and 70% “Not at all likely”. Of those Sky households who said they would subscribe the majority said it would be in addition to Sky Sports rather than as a replacement.
“Setanta is unlikely to seriously disrupt the U.K multichannel marketplace in the short term. It may have more success in expanding its reach through the tie-up with Virgin Media that has given premium Virgin Media subscribers access to Setanta premiership games, hence significantly boosting reach,” said report author James Myring.
Setanta’s prime assets are the 46 live Premier League games this season and coverage of the US PGA Golf Tour. Until the start of this season fans paid an additional £50 a year for a package of pay-per-view Premier League matches while the US PGA rights were held by Sky Sports.