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BT beats Sky to Champions League and Europa League TV rights
BT has secured another three-year deal for Champions League and Europa League football, extending its lucrative TV rights until 2021 in the UK. The contract is worth £1.2 billion, up from £897 million in 2013, and includes both the group stages and knockout rounds of each competition. As BBC News notes, the latest auction -- which takes effect from the 2018/19 season -- gives BT true exclusivity. That means no matches or highlights will be shown through the free-to-air broadcaster ITV. In return, BT has promised to "enhance its social media coverage" with shareable clips and weekly roundups. It will also continue showing the finals on YouTube.
BT to stream Champions League and Europa League finals on YouTube
BT will broadcast coverage of both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League finals for free on YouTube. The company confirmed today that it will show both matches, which kick off on May 28th and May 18th respectively, on BT Sport TV channels across Sky, Virgin, YouView and Freeview, but will also give UK streamers (it won't be available worldwide) the opportunity to view the action via the official BT Sport YouTube channel.
UEFA Champions League final will use goal-line technology
Goal-line technology is already being used in the Premier League to verify scoring, and it's headed to two UEFA league finals, too. The upcoming Champions League and Europa League finals will both make use of the system to keep tabs on scoring. If you'll recall, the tech was also used during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Back in January, UEFA announced that next year's Champions League season and the 2016 Euro Cup would employ the goal-line technology. However, it looks like the European football association is looking to get a jump start on things with the two league finals in May.
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.
