New deal a real coup for Setanta

Television rights: Setanta Sports have won the exclusive live television rights for Ireland and Britain to cover tournaments on the US PGA Tour.

The six-year deal, which starts next January 1st, gives Setanta the rights to all PGA Tour events and programming, including the Players' Championship at Sawgrass, often regarded as the fifth major.

It is a huge coup for Setanta as they have usurped Sky Sports, which held the broadcasting rights for the US tour for more than a decade.

Setanta will also showcase the 24 events in the Champions Tour for competitors aged 50 and over, and the Nationwide Tour, in which an international roster of players battle for a place on the main tour.

The deal will form the cornerstone of a new, 24-hour Setanta golf channel that will be launched on New Year's Day. A selection of the tournaments could be available on the main channel.

The station will not, however, have access to the US Masters, the US Open or the US PGA Championship. Augusta National Golf Club own the rights to The Masters, while the other two tournaments come under the jurisdiction of the PGA of America.

Setanta will broadcast next month's British Open (it's a separate agreement related to exclusive rights in Ireland), and have already screened the BMW PGA Championship from Wentworth, among others.

Tim Leisure, vice-president of international television at the PGA Tour, said: "We couldn't be more pleased with our new relationship with Setanta Sports, which coincides with the launch of the FedEx Cup series in 2007.

The tour has a new look in 2007, and with our new partner, Setanta Sports, a new golf channel on which to present our mutual passion for the game of golf."

Trevor East, Setanta's director of sports, said: "We are privileged to be associated with an organisation as prestigious as the PGA Tour. Following quickly on the heels of our recent English and Scottish Premier League successes, this is a major coup for Setanta.

"A dedicated golf channel featuring the game's biggest names in peak viewing time, alongside our major football content, provides a compelling proposition for subscribers. The Setanta Sports pack is now a must have for all sports fans."

Niall Cogley, chief executive of Setanta Sports Ireland, welcomed the deal and stressed the increasingly attractive package the station can now offer potential subscribers.

"This time next year we will be able to bring to the Irish market, on a weekly basis, three live Premiership matches, two Champions League games, a live American golf tournament, two live Scottish Premier League games - and that's without reference to the traditional coverage like motor racing, Gaelic games and the Celtic League," he said.

"We also have the exclusive rights to the Rugby World Cup next year and now find ourselves in a position where we offer a very strong proposition in the subscription market."