Setanta Sports sets Ukrainian expansion with second channel

Sports broadcaster Setanta will launch a second channel in Ukraine.

Speaking to local outlet UA Football, Setanta Eurasia head of distribution Mariya Lysenko said that a launch would happen “in the near future.”

Setanta originally entered the Ukrainian market in August 2019, distributed by the digital division of StarLightMedia.

The channel currently runs as an OTT platform, but Lysenko said that it had submitted an application to the National Council of TV and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine to have both Setanta Sports channels included in a list of adapted foreign services in the country.

Setanta picked up the Ukrainian rights to the English Premier League, NHL, UFC and ATP Tour from the IMG agency. It also broadcasts NBA.

The broadcaster entered a market which had traditionally been dominated by Media Group Ukraine, which owns the Football 1, Football 2 and Football 3 channels.

However, the emergence of OTT platforms Megogo and Voila has opened up the market to newer players such as Setanta.