Digital TV News

BT Vision prepares to add Sky Sports

Thursday 13 May, 2010

By Seamour Rathore - seamour@consumerchoices.co.uk

BT Vision plans to bring Sky Sports 1 and 2 for the 2010/2011 football season.

BT Vision (www.bt.vision.co.uk) has reached a deal with TV infrastructure specialists Arqiva to get capacity with the aim of showing Sky Sports channels this year.

The move is a result of telecommunications regulator Ofcom reviewing pay-TV in the UK.

Marc Watson, chief executive officer of BT Vision, said: “Offering Sky Sports 1 and 2 to our customers is clearly an important milestone for both BT and of course our customers.”

BT today set out a three-year plan to improve its TV offering, which will benefit from the roll-out of faster broadband. Yesterday it doubled the amount of on-demand films it carries at any one time.

BT said it would offer a new range of TV services including more on-demand TV, free-to-air HD programmes and new interactive services.

Ian Livingston, BT’s chief executive, said: “We are investing in the future of our business and enhancing our TV offering.”

BT Vision had 467,000 customers at the end of March, but the service still trails Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com), (3.7 million TV customers) and Sky (www.sky.co.uk) (9.77 million TV customers).