Digital TV News

BT Vision to offer cut-price Sky Sports channels

Monday 28 June, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

BT Vision customers will be able to sign-up for Sky’s premium sports channels before the Barclays Premier League kicks off in August.

BT, one of Britain’s largest TV, broadband and phone providers, has signed a deal with satellite TV giant Sky to offer the premium Sky Sports channels for the first time.

Its BT Vision (www.bt.vision.co.uk) customers will be able to sign-up for the channels, which show a range of sporting events including Premier League football and Rugby Union, from the start of July.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone, which means that we can be certain of offering Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 to our customers before the football season kicks off.”

BT has not yet revealed the prices of the new channels, but said the channels will be available from 1 August.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “BT’s announcement is a welcome shot in the arm for mourning football fans after Sunday’s World Cup debacle.”

“With the Premier League 2010-11 season due to kick off in August, BT Vision customers that subscribe to the new channels and pay the one-off payment for an ESPN viewing card will be able to watch all the action of every game.”

The news comes just a fortnight after cable TV provider Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) revealed that it too would be cutting the cost of its Sky Sports subscriptions.

Ingram added: “Once BT’s pricing is announced, we would urge football fans to compare the Sky Sports options available in their area ahead of the new season.”