Setanta Sports terminates contract with Ukrainian premiership after single TV pool failure

The Irish TV company Setanta Sports announced the early termination of the contract with the Ukrainian Premier League.

"Thank you to the clubs that transferred the rights and supported Setanta Sports and the UPL in the effort to create a single pool. However, within the framework of the agreement with the league, Setanta Sports could not fully use the media rights: some clubs did not transfer the rights to broadcast the matches organized and played by them to the UPL. Considering the above, Setanta Sports has decided not to renew the agreement with UPL," the company said on its website.

All obligations under the agreement with UPL will be fulfilled in full until the end of the current season.

The company reported that it is ready to discuss new terms of cooperation that would satisfy all parties.

"We will continue to popularize UPL clubs and their players far beyond the borders of Ukraine, if we can reach the appropriate agreements," Setanta said in a statement.

In the summer of 2022, Setanta and UPL signed a three-year contract, under which the company became the official broadcaster of matches of the top tier of Ukrainian football. The agreement was signed for three seasons, and was worth $16.2 million.

Matches of the Ukrainian premiership were supposed to be available to viewers on three platforms: Setanta Sports channels, OTT platform, and YouTube.

However, almost immediately after signing this contract, the 1+1 media group announced that it would broadcast certain matches bypassing the established TV pool.