Eir Sport: History of the Irish Sports Channel and the Events It Broadcast

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?Eir Sport was a group of Irish sports television channels operated by Eircom Sport Limited, a subsidiary of Eir. It emerged following Eir’s acquisition of Setanta Sports in December 2015, and its subsequent rebranding on July 5, 2016.

History of Eir Sport

Setanta Sports, founded in 1990, had the primary goal of broadcasting Irish sporting events to international audiences. Over the years, Setanta expanded its operations to various countries, including the United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, the United States, and Canada. In Ireland, Setanta Sports became a key player in sports broadcasting, offering a wide range of both local and international sporting events.

In December 2015, Eir, an Irish telecommunications company, acquired Setanta Sports Ireland Ltd. This acquisition included the Setanta Ireland and Setanta Sports 1 channels, as well as the distribution rights for the BT Sport channel package in Ireland. On July 5, 2016, Setanta Sports was rebranded as Eir Sport, marking a new era in Irish sports broadcasting.

Eir Sport Channels

Eir Sport operated several channels dedicated to broadcasting sports events:

• Eir Sport 1: Formerly known as Setanta Ireland, this channel broadcast a variety of sports including football, rugby, golf, and more.
• Eir Sport 2: Previously Setanta Sports 1, this channel complemented Eir Sport 1’s programming by offering additional coverage of sporting events.
• Eir Sport X1 and X2: Additional channels available exclusively on Eir TV, providing supplementary sports content.
• Eir Sport UHD: An ultra high-definition channel available on Eir TV, offering an enhanced viewing experience for selected events.

Sports Broadcast by Eir Sport

Eir Sport offered a wide range of sports, covering both domestic and international competitions. Some of the most notable sports and events included:

• Football (Soccer): Broadcasts of Premier League matches (only in the Republic of Ireland), UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, as well as games from the League of Ireland and the Setanta Sports Cup.
• Rugby: Coverage of tournaments like the Pro14, with all 152 matches of the competition broadcast from the 2018–2019 season onwards, and the IRB Rugby World Cup.
• Golf: Broadcast of major events like The Masters Tournament and The Open Championship, along with Golf Channel content including shows such as Feherty and Big Break Ireland.
• Gaelic Sports: Live coverage of the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues, along with delayed broadcasts of the All-Ireland Senior Championships in football and hurling.
• Tennis: Coverage of Grand Slam tournaments such as Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
• North American Sports: Broadcasts of events from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA college football and basketball.
• Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA): Coverage of major bouts and featured events in the boxing and MMA worlds.

Innovations and Strategic Agreements

In June 2013, Setanta Sports signed a long-term deal with BT Sport to distribute its channels in the Republic of Ireland, resulting in a more complete sports package for Irish subscribers. Following Eir’s acquisition, this strategy continued, with Eir offering its broadband customers free access to the Eir Sport channel package—including BT Sport—starting in July 2016.

End of Operations

In May 2021, it was announced that Eir Sport would cease operations before the end of that year. Eir confirmed its channels would shut down, and broadcasting rights for several sporting events were reassigned to other networks in Ireland.

Eir Sport played a significant role in the landscape of Irish sports broadcasting, offering viewers a wide selection of both domestic and international sporting events. From its roots as Setanta Sports to its rebranding and eventual closure, Eir Sport left a lasting mark on how Irish sports fans consumed their favorite games for over a decade.