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BT acquire ESPN's UK operation (February 2013)

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NG
noggin Founding member
WillPS posted:
Jon posted:
A former member posted:
Of course it will - that's the whole point of it.

Yes, it's to sell BT's Broadband and win back broadband subscribers, they aren't starting up a sport channel for the sake of running a sport channel.

Yes, in the same way Sky Sports was to sell Astra satellite equipment...


Comparing apples with oranges. Selling Astra kit made Sky no real money (you could argue advertising income) and didn't guarantee revenue. Selling broadband subscriptions because you get sports content generates BT continuing income and guarantees revenue.
WP
WillPS
noggin posted:
WillPS posted:
Jon posted:
A former member posted:
Of course it will - that's the whole point of it.

Yes, it's to sell BT's Broadband and win back broadband subscribers, they aren't starting up a sport channel for the sake of running a sport channel.

Yes, in the same way Sky Sports was to sell Astra satellite equipment...


Comparing apples with oranges. Selling Astra kit made Sky no real money (you could argue advertising income) and didn't guarantee revenue. Selling broadband subscriptions because you get sports content generates BT continuing income and guarantees revenue.


To take your analogy, once you have a bowl for fruit, you'd be inclined to fill it.

Sky Sports shifted dishes, so then a year down the line when they started scrambling services (not just Sky Sports as well) they were inclined to pay for the services they had enjoyed for a year.

BT are using Sport to push Broadband/Infinity right now, but there's no way they can remain competitive in this market and soak up the cost of running the Sports service. I predict it'll remain free for BT Infinity with BT Vision customers and that's it.

13 days later

DV
DVB Cornwall
Top Up TV confirmed today that they are not transmitting any sports channels from August.
GM
Gary McEwan
I could see the Advertising Standards Authority getting a few complaints with this though.

They say you can get it 'free' with BT Broadband, nowhere on the billboards or TV adverts I've seen does it mention you have to have BT Infinity, just BT Broadband.

And doing a bit more digging, the small print says that you must get a download speed of 400kbps for good viewing...
DV
DVB Cornwall
BT Broadband users have free access to the three channels in SD

BT Infinity users have access (subject to payment of a £3 per month fee, waived for the first year, if ordered before 1st Aug) to the channels in HD,
JO
Jon
Gary McEwan posted:
I could see the Advertising Standards Authority getting a few complaints with this though.

They say you can get it 'free' with BT Broadband, nowhere on the billboards or TV adverts I've seen does it mention you have to have BT Infinity, just BT Broadband.

You get it free on a Sky box if you've got a viewing card with BT broadband. I think, although by no means certain you'd be able to watch the games on their website as well if you have BT Broadband.

Anyway, you don't need to do much digging if you want to find out, the information is all detailed online somewhere.

17 days later

DV
DVB Cornwall
BT loses it's complaint to Ofcom against BSB's refusal to carry advertisements for BT Sport's services on Sky Sports channels


see here ……..

STAKEHOLDERS.OFCOM.ORG.UK
20-Jun-2013 @ 12:34
RD
rdd Founding member
Reports in today's Irish Times that BT Sport will announce in the coming days that they are teaming up with Setanta to retail their channels (Setanta Ireland, Premier Sports, BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, and ESPN) as a single premium package in the Republic of Ireland. Good news if true in that it will mean Irish viewers may only have to subscribe to two providers instead of three, but also may mean basic cable viewers losing Setanta Ireland and ESPN, which are currently basic tier.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2.790/setanta-to-net-deal-with-bt-to-offer-more-live-premier-league-games-in-ireland-1.1438770
DV
DVB Cornwall
If that's the case, I expect a reciprocal deal with Premier Subs featuring on BT Vision and BT YouView will follow,
GE
thegeek Founding member
Jon posted:
madmusician posted:
Let's hope that BT didn't pay Red Bee too much for that logo - it's dreadful!!

I suspect it won't be used within the box on screen and BT globe thingy will rotate.


I've only seen the break bumper so far, but I can confirm that the logo looks much nicer when it's animated.
DV
DVB Cornwall
Republic of Ireland deal done with Setanta as mentioned above ...

The BT Sport action will sit alongside Setanta’s existing portfolio of sport including 33 Live Barclays Premier League games at 3pm on Saturdays, Live Allianz Leagues GAA, Formula 1, Champions League, Europa League, NHL, NASCAR, League of Ireland and live horseracing.

more details ……..

NEWS on HOME.BT.COM
24-Jun-2013 @ 14:18
RD
rdd Founding member
No word on what happens for a cable subscribers, all of whom currently receive Setanta Ireland in their packages and most of whom currently get ESPN as a basic tier channel. If the package is the same as is mooted for satellite then this will be a big blow for UPC as it robs it of one of its key advantages over Sky.

No news on pricing either, though we'll find that out in July...

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