David Crow

Setanta: the Gordon Brown of sports broadcasting

David Crow says the Irish-based football channel — like the Prime Minister — looked a winner during the boom years but failed to attract fans and will struggle to survive

issue 20 June 2009

David Crow says the Irish-based football channel — like the Prime Minister — looked a winner during the boom years but failed to attract fans and will struggle to survive

You have to hand it to Michael O’Rourke and Leonard Ryan, founders of sports broadcaster Setanta. Three weeks ago it was hard to find anyone who thought their firm would still be afloat today. Analysts pointed to annual losses of £100 million; the Scottish Premier League complained of missed rights payments; deadlines loomed for £35 million of fees due to the English Premier League. Fears were reinforced when Deloitte was lined up as administrator and Setanta’s call centre refused to sign up new subscribers, while its website announced ‘technical difficulties’.

Friends of O’Rourke and Ryan told me not to underestimate them, however. They were working round the clock to find a way out of trouble.

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