Mickey O'Rourke and Lenny Ryan's Setanta is set to enter the bidding for the Champions League TV rights, which may be sold by UEFA for €165m, say sources.

The fast-growing sports broadcaster will have to slug it out with ITV, BBC and other media firms for the three-year deal which runs from 2009.

Bids for the rights are to be submitted on March 12.

Recently Setanta has been linked with a €1.5bn takeover and has appointed Goldman Sachs to advise on options. Disney's ESPN has been mentioned as a potential bidder.