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BT's new 4K sports channel will cost £15 a month
As promised, BT is bringing the first 4K live sports channel to UK TV screens next month, and it's finally let us in on how much it's going to cost. BT Sport Ultra HD will begin broadcasting August 2nd, kicking off proceedings with an FA Community Shield footy match between Arsenal and Chelsea. There are only a couple of other events throughout August -- three Premier Leagues clashes and the Silverstone MotoGP -- that'll be available in 4K, but plenty more football, rugby and racing will be shown on the channel during their respective seasons. But how much is watching penalty box divers in unparalleled detail going to cost you? Well, BT's introducing a whole new tier to its TV offerings to accommodate the new channel. The "Entertainment Ultra HD" package includes the BT Sport Pack, all Freeview channels, 47 "premium" channels, access to catch-up services, as well as BT Sport Ultra HD for £15 per month.
BT details how much it'll charge for Champions League football
We knew it was coming, but now we've got confirmation: Next season, BT will start charging for full Champions League and Europa League coverage on BT Sport. When both tournaments start up again, BT broadband customers will need to pay an extra £5 to access the new games. If you're signed up for BT TV, however, you'll be able to watch the European fixtures at no added cost. BT Sport 1 will remain free for BT broadband customers, under a new package called "BT Sport Lite," but the company is yet to confirm whether BT Sport 2 and BT Sport ESPN are included. The broadcaster also hasn't explained how the new pricing structure will affect Virgin Media and Sky TV customers that currently pay for BT Sport, either as an optional extra or an inclusive TV bundle.
BT gets back into mobile with a trio of SIM-only 4G plans
It's already been quite the week for the UK's mobile battleground, with Three UK's owner Hutchison Whampoa announcing its plan to acquire O2 for a cool £10 billion. And today, confirming recent rumours, BT is ready to re-enter mobile ten years after offloading its shares in O2 and getting out of the game. BT is pursuing its own, mammoth acquisition of EE, of course, but while it waits on regulatory approval, it's tapping EE's network under an MVNO agreement penned way back in 2013. BT is now part of the quad-play club, and like fellow members Virgin Media and TalkTalk, it's going after the price-conscious consumer with a trio of SIM-only plans.
BT to broadcast and stream live NBA games in the UK
BT has landed quite a few major sports broadcasting deals as of late, including its buyout of ESPN's British and Irish channels back in February. Today, it's extending its athletic empire with an exclusive arrangement to air NBA games in Ireland and the UK. The agreement will see BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN broadcast as many as seven live games per week, with some of them streaming through BT Sport's website and mobile apps. While there isn't a huge market for basketball in the country, the pact will make life much easier for diehard UK fans and American ex-pats -- they won't have to buy online passes or otherwise bend over backwards to keep up with their favorite NBA teams. [Image credit: Getty]
BT Sport steals Sky's crown jewel, gets exclusive rights to the Champions League in 2015
Do you like to spend huge sums on Sky Sports just to catch the big moments in European football? Well, in the biggest thing to happen to UK broadcasting in years, BT Sport has outbid (by a considerable margin) both Sky and ITV for the exclusive rights to show both Champions and Europa League matches between 2015-2018. It's a huge coup for the nascent broadcaster, and a statement of intent that it doesn't want to become the next ITV Digital. What this means for consumers, of course, is that £22-a-month Sky Sports subscription (on top of the £21 you pay for the basic package) just took a big hit in value, and that if you want to see the world's biggest game, you're gonna have to buy a BT Sport subscription.
BT Sports now available on Virgin TV: free for some, £15 per month for others
BT is swiftly becoming a sports broadcasting force in the UK after acquiring ESPN UK and Ireland in February, then launching two of its own channels at the beginning of August. It's now found a teammate in Virgin Media, and a newly inked, three-year deal will see BT Sport 1, 2, ESPN and their HD counterparts available through Sir Richard's cable TV service. From today, all those channels go free for subscribers of the TV XL package, or can be added to other tiers for £15 per month. Watching through Virgin's TV Anywhere app is currently not supported but will be "soon," letting you gasp, shout and throw obscenities at even more screens.
