Eir acquires Setanta Sports Ireland
Telecommunications company Eir has agreed to acquire Setanta Sports Ireland, the international sports broadcaster based in Ireland. The sum of the transaction is undisclosed.
The company, which recently rebranded from Eircom, is to buy the group of channels that also includes the Irish rights to BT Sport.
Eir launched a television package in late 2013 that had 43,000 customers by the end of September, however, this is the first time the company has become involved in content production.
The acquisition will allow eir to significantly expand its TV offering and enhance its range.
Eir has around 2.3 million fixed-line and mobile service customers across the country.
Setanta Sports Ireland offers exclusive live sports content, including matches from the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
Setanta customers have access to six channels, which include the BT Sport channels and ESPN.
Eir CEO Richard Moat said: “We will now offer our customers the widest range and highest calibre of sports content in Ireland. Buying Setanta Sports Ireland is a game changer for eir and is our largest acquisition since we purchased Meteor in 2005.”
In its most recent financial results, eir posted a 4% growth in annual revenue to €325m.
The deal will require the approval of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission together with the approval of the Minister for Communications before completion.
Setanta Sports is Ireland’s leading premium sports broadcaster. Setanta was originally founded in 1992 to bring Irish Sport to fans around the world and has since grown rapidly to have operations around the world.
