BT has secured rights to 38 live Premier League matches, British rugby union and the women’s tennis tour, with plans to offer its new sports channels “as good as free” to existing customers.
The broadcaster is expected finally to unveil details of its pricing plan and consumer proposition at an event at its Olympic Park studios , but it is understood that existing BT Broadband customers will be offered a substantial discount as it attempts to use its two new sport channels to woo new customers.
In addition to its Premier League football rights, BT has secured all the live rights to domestic rugby union and the women’s tennis tour.
It has also bought the UK operations of ESPN, which gives it the rights to the FA Cup and Scottish football.
BT face an uphill battle to succeed where Setanta and ESPN have failed, but claim that the 18 “first pick” matches per season will make their two sports channels attractive to subscribers.
Commenting on the launch of BT Sport, Dominic Baliszewski, telecoms expert at broadbandchoices.co.uk commented: “The launch of BT Sport is great news for sports fans who now have even more choice when it comes to sports TV options – however more choice means you need to do your homework and look under the bonnet to ensure you get the right deal for you.
“BT Sport will be free of charge to BT broadband customers (£15 per month otherwise) even when not taking TV from BT, giving cash-strapped but sports-mad households access to premium content without the traditional premium TV service set-up. BT have also lowered the length of some their contracts from 18 to 12 months, an important change that will reassure consumers who are wary of lengthy contracts that cannot be exited without hefty penalty fees.
“Consumers planning to take advantage of the freebie offer by taking out a home broadband package with BT will need to watch their download limits. The mobile app is a fantastic tool for allowing customers to view content through a broadband connection, but it will most likely count towards your monthly data allowance. Opt for a truly unlimited package to avoid any nasty excess usage fees.”
