Television channel
Arsenal TV was a sports television channel devoted to coverage of the English football club Arsenal F.C. It was a part of the Setanta Sports package and was similar to other Setanta's other channels Celtic TV, Rangers TV and LFC TV.[3]
Arsenal TV has been continued in the way of its successors being Arsenal's Web Player and Arsenal on YouTube.[1][2]
History
Arsenal TV launched on 14 January 2008 on Sky channel 423.[4] Arsenal TV was available as a part of the Setanta Sports pack on Sky until 23 June 2009. The channel remained available to former Setanta Sports subscribers until it closed.[5]
Arsenal TV became available Virgin Media cable on 18 March 2008 after a successful campaign by the club to get the channel on the service; it was available as part of the Setanta Sports package or TV Size XL.[6]
The TV channel screened on Monday to Fridays: 4.30pm - 2am and Sunday: 6pm - 2am.[7]
Timeshift Networks
Arsenal TV had two timeshift channels which broadcast on Sky from 1.30am to 7.45am. Both channels aired the same programming seen on the main channel on different days, although not at the same time. The slots were likely meant to have been used for Satanta to launch additional channels, so they were possibly under short-term one-year contracts.
- On 17 March 2008, Arsenal Replay was added to Sky Channel 424 (which later moved to 448). The channel was removed on 27 March 2009.
- On 12 May 2008, AH TV was added to Sky Channel 454. It was pretty much the same channel as above, except the fact it aired on different days. The channel was removed on 28 April 2009.
Closure
On 23 June 2009, Setanta Sports entered administration and ceased broadcasting its core channels. Arsenal announced that Arsenal TV would continue broadcasting in the short term but that the club would evaluate its long-term viability.[8][9] On 22 July 2009, Setanta Sports administrator Deloitte announced that it would sell Setanta Sports' Sky Digital EPG slots through Canis Media, including Arsenal TV's slot on channel 435.[10]
On 31 July 2009, Arsenal announced that because of Setanta Sports' administration and lack of resources to run a channel on its own, Arsenal TV would no longer be available on the Sky platform until further notice. Within this time, the club had explored alternative options regarding the future of Arsenal TV. However, for the short term, Arsenal TV was exclusively available online fully through the club's online channel, Arsenal Player and partly YouTube.[1][2][11] All of Arsenal's friendly matches prior to the 2009-10 season were shown exclusively on Arsenal TV Online apart from the Emirates Cup.[1]
On 4 August, the channel space on Virgin Media was replaced with an on-screen slate citing that the channel had ceased broadcasting, with the channel eventually being removed from the service a week later.
On 6 August, after carrying a similar on-screen closure message during the channel's downtime since 4 August, the channel's broadcast space on Sky went blank. The following day on the 7th of August, the channel was removed from the Sky EPG.
Content
Their featured content on Arsenal TV, and now on Arsenal Player and Arsenal on YouTube included:
- Replays of every Arsenal match in all competitions, including post match coverage and analysis
- Exclusive interviews with staff and players
- Live coverage of Arsenal Reserves and first-team friendly matches
- Highlights of Arsenal Academy and Arsenal Ladies matches
- Arsenal -related news
- Highlights of classic matches
- Documentaries based on the club's history[1][2]
