Sport on TVSky vs Setanta

If you're a sports fanatic and like to follow all domestic, European and international games in your chosen sport, your best bet is Sky Sports or Setanta Sports, or both.

Although most sports can be found either on Sky or Setanta, it doesn't mean that you are tied to one service provider. Most TV services offer content from Sky and Setanta, although there are some differences.

Setanta has already snapped up US golf rights

What's on offer from Sky Sports?

Sky Sports shows the largest amount of football, rugby, cricket and golf content overall, through four dedicated sports channels. Other sports featured on these channels include ATP tour tennis events, boxing events, A1GP motor racing, darts, snooker and some American sports events including Speedway (motorbike racing) and NFL matches (American football) .

Sky Sports channels: Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports Xtra.

The Sky Sports channels are available on Sky, Virgin Media and Tiscali TV. 

What's on offer from Setanta Sports?

Setanta Sports shows a wide range of sporting action, including football, golf, Magners League and French rugby, Australian sports, North American Sports, Gaelic sports and Rangers and Celtic TV. Setanta is showing 46 Monday night and Saturday evening games in the 2008/9 Premiership season.

Setanta Sports channels: Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2, Setanta Sports News, Setanta Golf, Setanta Ireland, Racing UK, NASN, Celtic TV, Rangers TV, Liverpool TV.

Setanta Sports is available on Sky, Virgin Media, Tiscali TV,  BT Vision, Top Up TV Anytime and Freeview, but what you get varies by provider.

Sky is the only service provider currently offering the full range of Setanta channels, which costs £9.99 a month. Virgin carries all Setanta’s channels, excluding Setanta Ireland. If you go for Virgin Media’s top TV package (Size XL) you get Setanta free, excluding the North American sports channel, NASN. Tiscali offers Setanta Sports 1, 2 and Golf.

Setanta Sports 1 is available on Freeview, Top Up TV Anytime and BT Vision for £10.99 a month. This may seem expensive in comparison to what you get with Sky or Virgin Media, but this channel arguably covers Setanta’s more popular content. Setanta Sports 1 includes all its Premiership, Scottish Premier League and Nationwide Conference matches, as well as some England games, some European league matches, Magners League rugby, French league rugby, US PGA Tour golf and some boxing events.

BT Vision’s Setanta package includes full replays of Setanta’s Premiership games. These are available from three days after they are first shown live. BT has also bought the rights to show 242 pre-recorded Premiership matches, available from 10pm on the day they are played, and 125 Carling Cup and Football League matches, available 24 hours after kick off. BT charges £4 per month for this service, which also includes a digital library of classic Premier League, golf, tennis and boxing matches and events.

For a full listing of TV channels, and their content, see our main table.