Setanta at risk as pay deadline missed

THE future of Setanta Sports was again in severe jeopardy last night, after the Irish-founded broadcaster failed to meet the second of three payment deadlines for transmission rights for English Premiership football next season.

It looks likely the firm’s potential rescue takeover package will not proceed and the bulk of the company will go into administration, possibly as early as Monday.

Yesterday’s deadline was for the broadcaster to stump up another tranche in already overdue transmission rights payments, for next season’s coverage, to the English Premier League. Setanta had, up to last week, owed the Premier League about £35 million (€41.3m) in unpaid rights fees. It is understood that about £10m was paid last week; with a deadline of yesterday in place for the payment of another £10m — with the remaining £15m, or so, not payable until later in the summer.