NY court ruling opens Irish pay TV market

The practice of Irish sports fans paying to watch live televised games at New York City pubs could become a thing of the past thanks to Mayo-born bar owner, Eugene Rooney.

“I enjoy a good battle,” Mr Rooney told the Irish Examiner on Monday as he reflected on last week’s court victory over Premium Sports, the company run by Setanta Sports North America founder Shane O’Rourke.

Like many bar owners around the city, Rooney was required to allow Premium’s own staff charge sports fans a fee (usually $20 (€15) to enter the hosting pub, a common practice since the mid-1990s.