Setanta Sports Philippines Limited is a

pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

sports channel Sports channels are television speciality channels (usually available exclusively through cable and terrestrial and satellite) broadcast sporting events, usually live, and when not broadcasting events, sports news and other related programmi ...

and over-the-top

streaming service Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

operating in the Philippines owned by Eurasian Broadcasting Enterprise Ltd. Originally broadcasting as Setanta Sports Asia, an

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

operating in the

Asia Pacific Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

region owned by

Discovery Communications Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Cha ...

. It primarily airs the sports of

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

and

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

. The channel was available on TV platforms in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia/Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, and Taiwan. As of 2024, Setanta Sports is only available in the Philippines after the latter's owners (including founder Michael O’Rouke and Georgia-based Adjara Group) relaunched the platform in 2022 to sole exclusive broadcast rights for the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

History

In February 2011, Setanta Sports Asia launched in Hong Kong on Now TV, and in Malaysia and Brunei on Astro. In June 2015, Setanta Sports in Dublin confirmed it has sold its Asian operations to

. From 29 January 2020, Setanta Sports Asia has been replaced by the new dedicated rugby channel,

Rugby Pass TV Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** T ...

which launched its OTT service first, since February 2016. Rugby Pass was later shut down due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and

Premier Sports Asia Premier Sports Asia is a pay television sports channel operating in the Asia Pacific region owned by Premier Media Broadcasting. It primarily airs the sport of rugby union. History The channel, a sister channel of Irish-based Premier Sports, wa ...

took over the acquisition of all Rugby Pass subscribers in 2021. In November 2022, Setanta Sports founder Michael O'Rouke and Georgia-based Adjara Group jointly relaunched the brand as a linear channel and OTT platform in the Philippines after it obtained its broadcast exclusivity rights to the

for the said country after the league's contract with local broadcaster

TAP Digital Media Ventures Corporation TAP Digital Media Ventures Corporation (TAP DMV) is a Philippine Mass media, media and entertainment company which oversees the operations of its 24-hour linear television channels and a digital media, digital over-the-top media service. It is f ...

was expired.

Availability

Prior to its relaunch in the Philippines in 2022, the channel was available on the following platforms throughout Asia: * In Hong Kong via Now TV * In Indonesia via First Media, Big TV, and MNC Play * In Malaysia and Brunei on Astro * In Mongolia via Univision and Sky Media * In the Philippines on SkyCable * In Thailand via TrueVisions * In Singapore via Toggle * In Sri Lanka via LBN, Dialog and SLT Peo TV * In Taiwan via bbTV Since 2022, Setanta Sports Philippines is available both as a linear channel and through

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

on its official website and mobile application on a monthly subscription basis. In February 2024, Setanta Sports becomes available on local streaming service Blast TV.

Coverage

Current

Setanta Sports (Philippines) has broadcast rights to international sporting leagues, including: ;Football *

Scottish Professional Football League The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As well ...

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

;Basketball *

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

* NBL Australia *

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

Türkiye Basketbol Ligi The Turkish Basketball First League (; TBL), is Turkish basketball league system, the second-tier level league of professional club basketball in Turkey. The league was previously known as Turkish Basketball Second League (TB2L). Format and pro ...

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club (sport), club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball ...

LNB Pro A LNB may refer to: Sport * Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, a professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, an Argentine basketball league * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (Paraguay), Liga Nacional de Básquetb ...

;Combat sports * Power Slap

Past coverage

Setanta was the leading broadcaster of rugby in Asia, covering a variety of competitions from the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Setanta's former Rugby rights were:

Rugby league

Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...

RFL Championship The Rugby Football League Championship, (known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second highest division of rugby league in British rugby league system, Britain (with one team in the league also being based in France) ...

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...

(until 2017 season)

Rugby union

* International tests *

Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...

(2011–2013 on Setanta; Return in 2017) * The Rugby Championship (formerly Tri-Nations) *

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

Pro14 The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

Premiership Rugby Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby ...

* ''Ligue Nationale de Rugby'' **

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the National Rugby League (France), France National Rugby League, also ...

Pro D2 The Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was introduced in 2000. It ...

Mitre 10 Cup The mitre (Commonwealth English) or miter (American English; see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in traditional Christianity. Mi ...

Currie Cup The Currie Cup () is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier domestic competition, four South African franc ...

* European Professional Club Rugby (2014–15 until 2017–18) ** European Rugby Champions Cup **

European Rugby Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...

GAA

Setanta provided coverage of the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

and

hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...

championships.

References

External links

Official Website

GAA on Setanta Sports Asia

Rugby on Setanta Sports Asia

NRL on Setanta Sports Asia

TV Listings on Setanta Sports Asia
{{Setanta Sports Sports television networks Television channels and stations established in 2011 Television channels and stations disestablished in 2020 Television channels and stations established in 2022 Video on demand services 2022 establishments in the Philippines Internet properties established in 2022