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Sky and BT agree to share their top TV channels
After years of "on and off" negotiations, BT and Sky have agreed to share their most popular TV channels. The deal means that Sky's Now TV streaming service will soon be available on BT's set-top box. BT will sell the various passes directly to consumers — so if you subscribe to both, you won't have to worry about separate bills anymore. On the flip-side, BT has agreed to give Sky "wholesale supply" of BT Sport. It will allow Sky to sell these channels standalone or as part of larger Sky TV packages. BT Sport will also be available on Sky Go and Now TV's Roku-in-disguise boxes.
BT Sport to offer 360-degree video highlights and replays
Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Allie weaves through three defenders before whipping a cross into the feet of Harry Kane. You jump out of your seat, only to let out a groan as the linesman blows his whistle and raises a flag for offside. But was it offside? You're not so sure. If only you could get a different perspective... Enter the BT Sport app. The British broadcaster has announced today that it will soon offer 360-degree highlights and instant replays. They will be shown alongside standard replays for "a minimum of" 20 sporting events — including the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup and World Title boxing — over the next six months.
BT is increasing its broadband prices in January, again
It's far from unusual for the cost of subscription services, from Netflix to your mobile tariff, to increase from time to time, particularly to reflect inflation. BT doesn't seem too concerned with what's usual, though. After increasing prices in July last year, and again this past April, BT has said the next round of hikes will go into effect on January 7th, 2018. That's three price rises in just 18 months.
BT Sport to stream its Saturday footy results show on Twitter
Twitter has recently been the forum of choice for many weird, wannabe-viral transfer announcements, but BT will soon be taking to the social network for more serious football coverage. Just as we start digging our teeth into the new Premier League season, BT Sport will begin livestreaming its news, analysis and footy results show "Score" on Twitter for any Brit to watch for free.
BT Sport will air Gfinity esports, just like BBC Three
Gfinity is on a roll. The British esports organiser has partnered with BT Sport to broadcast its Elite Series tournament in the UK. The company inked a near-identical deal with BBC Three last week, ensuring the high-stakes competition — which spans Street Fighter V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rocket League — is shown live on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. BT will be covering the action on BT Sport 3, starting at 9:30pm tonight (August 1st). The partnership runs until September 3rd, when the finals wrap up at Gfinity's glitzy esports arena in London.
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 Sport to air 'FIFA' eSports tournaments in the UK
One of the top FIFA eSports competitions is going to be shown on BT Sport in the UK. Today, the broadcaster has announced "exclusive" coverage of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series, an EA organised tournament built around 'FUT Champions,' a fantasy mode where players build and compete with custom teams. BT will start with the North American regional final in Vancouver on April 8th, followed by the Asia-Pacific heats in Singapore on April 22nd. The channel will then televise the European regional final in Madrid on May 6th, before tackling the all-important Championship Final in Berlin on May 20th and 21st.
Watch today's Liverpool vs Chelsea game in 4K and Dolby Atmos
Are you a soccer (football to the rest of the world) fan with a state-of-the-art home theater? If you answered "yes" to both of those questions and happen to be a BT Sport subscriber, today's match between Chelsea and Liverpool should be of special interest to you. That's because the network will broadcast the game in 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos, according to Dolby's Lab Notes blog.
BT to start charging TV subscribers for BT Sport
In the coming months, things are going to get a little more expensive for BT customers. The provider confirmed today that it will be raising the price of its broadband and landline services, while BT TV customers will be charged for access to BT Sport. For some customers, it will be the first time they need to pay for BT's sporting coverage, but others will see an increase in their subscription costs too.
BT to roll out next-gen YouView TV update and app next year
With Sky Q growing in popularity and Virgin Media soon to unveil its new 4K set-top box, BT knows it needs to keep innovating its own TV offering or be left behind. That's why it's today announced a fresh round of updates for its YouView-powered platform and confirmed plans for a new mobile app, all of which will be available next year.
EE begins offering six free months of BT Sport
The new football season is almost upon us, what with Wimbledon, the Euros and the Tour de France out of the way. (Of course, there's still the small matter of the Olympics and Paralympics.) As promised, EE is giving its subscribers better access to the action through a six-month trial of BT Sport. To sign up, text "Sport" to 150 from an EE smartphone, or call customer services. The only caveat is that you have to be a pay monthly (phone, tablet or SIM-only) subscriber -- sorry, pay-as-you-go customers.
EE customers to get six months of free BT Sport
With Euro 2016 now over and Cristiano Ronaldo's tears dry on his winning face, the focus is now back on domestic campaigns and the start of the most lucrative Premier League season in history. The first matches kick off in just under a month but today BT and EE have announced a new deal that will offer free access to all BT Sport channels for six months.
BT's football final coverage attracts 3 million on YouTube
BT Sport's YouTube experiment turned out to be quite successful. As the Guardian reports, the broadcaster attracted three million people to its live coverage of the Champions League and Europa League finals on the platform. Anyone in the UK was able to watch these streams, regardless of whether or not they were a BT Sport subscriber. It was offered alongside BT Sport Showcase, a free-to-watch Freeview channel that BT is forced to provide as part of its Champions League and Europa League TV rights deal. It was the first time both finals have been shown for free 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.
TalkTalk TV to offer BT Sport channels
TalkTalk, like Virgin Media, doesn't hold the rights to any live sport in the UK. Instead, the company has to hash out deals with other broadcasters, such as Sky and BT, to offer its subscribers new channels and coverage. TalkTalk TV customers can already pay extra for Sky Sports, but today the company announced that a BT Sport package is also being added to the mix. The price of the bolt-on subscription is yet to be determined, but TalkTalk has confirmed that it will include BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport Europe and BT Sport ESPN. Notably, there's no BT Sport Ultra HD.
BT is raising prices for (almost) everyone in July
If you enjoy BT's phone, broadband or TV services, you can expect those packages to get a little more expensive in the coming months. According to The Guardian, the provider has announced a series of inflation-busting price increases, which will its see standard broadband rise from £13 to £15 and its £25-per-month superfast fibre connections go up by an average of £2.05 from July 3rd. However, BT says it will boost download allowances by 20 percent to make up for it.
Sky told it doesn't have to give BT a discount on Sky Sports
BT Sport is no longer the David to Sky Sports' Goliath. When it launched in August 2013, the underdog TV service weighed heavily on less popular football leagues such as Serie A in Italy and Ligue 1 in France. But BT has slowly expanded, spending large amounts for the Champions League, the Europa League and a highly sought-after batch of Premier League fixtures. That's triggered Ofcom to re-evaluate what's known as a "wholesale must-offer" between Sky and BT. Its final decision, announced today, means that Sky is no longer forced to offer its flagship sports channels, Sky Sports 1 and 2, at a discount to BT.
BT Sport ads banned for promoting 'free' Champions League coverage
Once again, BT has been criticised for promoting its BT Sport channels with "misleading" TV ads. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told the company to pull a number of adverts, including a prominent one on TV, which promises free BT Sport access for BT TV and BT broadband customers. For BT, this is particularly bad timing. The company finally has the rights to broadcast live Champions League and Europa League football in the UK, after snatching them from Sky back in 2013. The two prestigious tournaments didn't come cheap, so BT needs BT Sport -- and specifically its new BT Sport Europe channel -- to be a resounding success. With that in mind, BT has been heavily promoting its European sports coverage as a "free" extra for all BT TV customers.
Sky Sports will show 100 extra La Liga matches this season
To make up for its lack of Champions League and Europa League football, Sky is doubling down on La Liga. The broadcaster will be showing over 300 matches from the Spanish division this season -- up from its usual tally of roughly 200. British interest in the league has always been high, given the quality of teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. With the extra games, however, Sky Sports customers will get to see more of football superstars Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez and Bale on their TVs. Are the fixtures enough to counterbalance the loss of the Champions League? No, but it's better than nothing. BT Sport is steadily growing its stockpile of live TV rights, so it's in Sky's interest to do the same. The company still has the lion's share of Premier League rights, but expanding its La Liga offering could stop a few unhappy subscribers from jumping ship.
BT's broadband prices are going up this September
Stick with the same phone, broadband or TV provider for long enough and eventually your bills will go up. It's just a matter of when and by how much. BT is the latest in the UK to announce some price rises, which will be coming into effect on September 20th. Broadband packages are going up "by no more than 6.94 percent" -- you can check your own plan here, and BT is keen to stress that some won't be changing at all. Line rental, meanwhile, is going up by a pound -- making Standard Line Rental £17.99 and Line Rental Plus £19.99 per month -- and its call plans will be rising between 14 and 50 pence.
