TOLDJA! Setanta Africa launches on TopTV as a new action sports channel with a focus on combat sports.

With a total lack of any pre or any other actual communication about it, TopTV has suddenly launched the new Setanta Action (TopTV 202) action sports channel ... today.

TV with Thinus broke the news about the channel's name HERE yesterday.

That was after I reported on Thursday HERE that TopTV said in a one-liner in another statement that a new action sports channel is coming to the struggling South African pay-TV operator.

Neither I nor several other national TV critics in South Africa or publications received any advance warning, invite to a hastily arrange launch event, or any information or press information about the coming launch of Setanta Action.

After requesting information this morning, TopTV responded with a press statement, saying "TopTV has announced the addition of action sports channel Setanta Action". According to TopTV, the channel from the Setanta Sports stable, "will start broadcasting from Friday 2 November on channel 202.

In the press release TopTV sent after request, it describes Setanta Action as "a new 24/7 sports action channel with a particular focus on combat sports. Programming will also include wrestling, action series, action magazine format shows that feature fitness and exercise, judo, taekwondo, karate and other extreme sports".

I can't give you a high res channel logo nor a schedule of what shows or specific programming is on Setanta Action; none was issued or received by me by whoever was supposed to do this.

"The increasingly popular mixed martial arts (MMA) sporting code is considered to be one of the world's fastest growing sports, with new organisations springing up around the world, including here in South Africa," says Kelly Butler, the CEO of Setanta Africa who is quoted in the press statement.

"The decision to launch a channel dedicated to action sports has resulted from the enthusiastic response to the MMA and kickboxing content that has been screened on the Setanta Africa channel, which is also available on the TopTV platform.

Setanta Action will try and target a predominantly young male audience, aged 18 – 34.

In the press release Ian Woodrow, the vice president of channels at TopTV also weighs in. "While our sports offering is limited in terms of mainstream sports, we have targeted various niche channels with a specific audience in mind, and these are performing very well for TopTV."

"As such, we are delighted to welcome the Setanta Action channel to our sports mix that includes Setanta Africa, Fuel TV (an extreme sports channel), Eurosport News and MUTV (the 24-hour football channel of Manchester United). We are confident that its focus on mixed martial arts, kickboxing and boxing will attract a new audience of viewers to TopTV."

BREAKING. Setanta Action is the new action sports channel launching op TopTV, although the pay-TV platform isn't communicating with TV critics.

Another example of TopTV inept, basically non-existent communication with the press and TV critics is the deafening silence and zero information on Setanta Action starting on TopTV as a new sports channel, supposedly next week.

TopTV's lack of any professional form of PR (where's the people who has to communicate and talk about this new channel? Where's the heads-up? The channel information? Pathetic!) continues. It's breathtakingly shocking to me, in yers of covering television as a medium, how clueless TopTV - or whoever is responsible for the PR of all of this - is about how to do it right.

Besides a press statement saying a new action channel - "a first for Africa" is launching on TopTV, On Digital Media (ODM) has communicated a single word to me or other TV critics about this.

Yet yesterday I borke the news RIGHT HERE and told you it is Setanta Action which will (hopefully?) start on TopTV. Whether anything happens or is actually talked about or forthcoming from this company about this - and I have asked - is anyone's guess.

Setanta Action is the brand-new sports action TV channel and 'the first of its kind in Africa' TopTV plans to launch next week - sources.

You're reading it here first. 

I'm hearing from sources that the sports channel which TopTV will be adding next week will be Setanta Action - we will see what happens, as I don't have any official confirmation yet.

Late yesterday TopTV said that the pay-TV operator will be adding a new dedicated sports action TV channel  to its platform in the first week of November.

TopTV which lacks any real sports channels, has Fuel TV and Setanta Africa but has struggled the past three years to secure any real sports programming due to rights issues.

TopTV calls the new sports channel "the first of its kind in Africa".