Setanta set for Premier highlights

Setanta is lining up a weekend Premier League highlights show, it has emerged.

The move fills the void left by RTÉ’s decision to axe its Premier Soccer Saturday and Sunday programmes at the end of last season.

Though Setanta officials declined to comment last night, it’s been confirmed that the station has secured the Irish highlights rights for the Premier League and is set to unveil its new show before the start of the season on Saturday. It is understood that Setanta will be showing a Saturday night and Sunday night programme each week on their Setanta Ireland channel at a time to be finalised.

Setanta have a long relationship with the Premier League and earlier this summer inked a deal to show 33 live English Premier League games on Saturdays in the Republic for another three seasons.

The agreement is another coup for Setanta who launched new channels BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN on August 1st.

The tie in with BT means the Dublin based company will have rights to 71 Premier League games this season

The first of those fixtures will be shown Saturday when Liverpool face Stoke (BT Sport 1, 12.45pm) followed by Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa, (Setanta 1, 3pm).

In May, RTÉ ended a 15 year association with the Premier League, a move which is expected to save the cash strapped broadcaster in the region of €1.3m a year.