Setanta considers options as British division set to go into administration

THE board of Setanta Sports was remaining silent over the company’s future yesterday – repeating the line that it was still considering its options – but it now looks certain that the core British division of the broadcasting group will, as expected, go into administration later this week.

That is likely to trigger a selloff of its still-profitable Irish and international divisions, a long since mooted move, with businessman Denis Desmond believed to be at the head of the line of interested parties, for the Irish business.

Setanta’s board was locked in a series of management meetings yesterday, following a disastrous end to last week. The ailing broadcaster finally unravelled after it failed to meet the second of three payment deadlines for transmission rights for English Premiership football for next season – the final season for which it still had its full allocation of 46 live games.