BT ramped up its TV rivalry with Sky on Tuesday by unveiling a raft of new sports channels, including what will be the U.K.’s first 4K ultra high-definition ( UHD) channel, as it prepares to broadcast Europe’s biggest league football competitions.
However, BT broadband customers, who until now have enjoyed all of BT’s sports content at no extra cost, will have to pay a monthly fee or sign up to BT TV in order to receive the U.K. incumbent’s full range of sports channels.
Added to BT’s current crop of channels – BT Sport 1, 2 and BT Sport ESPN – will be BT Sport Europe: a new channel that will show the UEFA Champions League and Europa League competitions. BT acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to those competitions for three seasons starting in 2015 for £897 million a couple of years ago.
BT "will be the only place to watch live coverage of all four of the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, and the FA Cup," said Delia Bushell, managing director of BT TV and Sport, at a press conference hosted at BT Sport studios in London’s Olympic Park.
As well as BT Sport Europe, BT also showed off BT Sport Showcase, a free-to-air channel that will show 12 Champions League and 14 Europa League fixtures on all digital TV platforms, subscription free.
BT also announced BT Sport Ultra HD, the U.K.’s first 4K broadcast TV channel, which will require customers to own a compatible TV and set-top-box (STB).
Fronting BT’s Champions League and Europa League coverage are a whole host of high-profile, ex-professional footballers led by Gary Lineker, who also hosts the BBC’s flagship football show, Match of the Day.
"It all adds up to a major new chapter for BT Sport," said Bushell.
BT stole the headlines in 2013 when it revealed that its newly-launched sports channels would come free with BT broadband.
However, the telco’s broadband customers will now have to fork out if they want to be a part of BT Sport’s major new chapter.
While new and existing BT TV customers c an get BT Sport 1, 2 and Europe at no extra cost, broadband-only customers will need to pay £5 per month. That said, customers who don’t want to pay can still receive BT Sport 1 for free with a BT broadband subscription or BT mobile subscription by opting for the BT Sport Lite package. Price plans for BT Sport Ultra HD will be announced at a later date, BT said.
"This is a smart move and makes perfect sense. The company is using the success of BT Sport to turn around the fortunes of its BT TV service," said Paolo Pescatore, director of multiplay and video at CCS Insight, in a research note. "Until now there has been a disconnect between BT Sport and BT TV, leaving no incentive for BT broadband subscribers to sign up to BT TV.
Basic BT TV is available at two price points: customers can buy a no-frills STB with no recording functionality for a one-off payment of £35, or they can opt for an STB that is capable of recording for £10 per month.
According to BT, a customer that takes out a broadband, landline phone and TV subscription that includes BT Sport and Sky Sports, will pay £337 less per year than a Sky customer on an equivalent subscription.
"It has raised the stakes and Sky will need to respond," Pescatore said.
Indeed, Sky customers who are not BT broadband customers will have to pay £13.50 per month for the full BT Sports package and will not be eligible for BT Sport Lite.
BT’s new sports channels, including its 4K channel, will begin broadcasting from August.
