BT Sport passes the million mark

RNS Number : 4900L

BT Group PLC

12 August 2013

 



                                                                                                August 12, 2013

BT SPORT PASSES THE MILLION MARK IN JUST THREE MONTHS

More than a million households are ready and equipped to enjoy the start of the Barclays Premier League on BT Sport this coming weekend. BT only began to accept orders on May 10, so the million customers for BT Sport have been added in just three months.

     BT Sport is free with BT broadband¹ and customers can easily watch the channels online or via their mobile devices using the BT Sport app. They can also enjoy the channels on their TVs if they renew their broadband contracts or are new to BT broadband.

     BT broadband customers who wish to watch the channels on their TV require a set top box. This will be a Sky box if they wish to receive the channels for free over satellite.

     BT TV customers, who receive the channels via their broadband or TV aerial, will require a YouView or BT Vision+ box. The type of box will depend on where a customer lives and what services they request.

     Non-BT broadband customers can also enjoy the BT Sport channels on their TVs, via the digital satellite platform from just £12 a month. These customers can typically save a lot of money if they switch their broadband to BT in order to receive the channels for free.

     The million total includes satellite TV customers - both free and paying - as well as customers who are watching via BT TV. There is a mix of existing BT broadband customers - who have re-contracted their broadband for at least twelve months - and new broadband customers who have been attracted by BT Sport.

     John Petter, BT Consumer managing director said: "We are thrilled with the initial interest shown in BT Sport and the viewing figures to date. To have a million households onboard before the Barclays Premier League has even begun is terrific. We said we would return sport to grass roots fans and they are cheering in large numbers."

     "We always said that BT Sport would help us retain and attract broadband customers and that is proving to be the case. We are rewarding our customers for their loyalty and the strategy is working.

¹ BT Sport is free to BT consumer broadband customers.

 "These are early days but we plan to make the most of this initial surge in demand as fans get excited about the football season ahead. Huge numbers of customers are signing up every day, which is testament to how fresh, vibrant and exciting the channels are. The market needed a new entrant to shake things up and that is precisely what we are doing.

     "It is clear that many customers want BT Sport as well as Sky Sports. The good news for those customers is that they can do exactly that, and save a lot of money by taking our broadband and getting BT Sport for free."

     BT Sport will show 38 exclusively live football matches from the Barclays Premier League, including 18 of the 'top picks', for each of the next three seasons. The channels will also show live FA Cup with Budweiser matches for the next five seasons.

    There will also be live football action from Scotland, the UEFA Europa League and top tier football from Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Australia and the USA. In addition there will be action from the FA Women's Super League and 30 live matches from the Football Conference.

     Rugby and tennis will also feature prominently with BT Sport showing up to 69 live rugby union games a season from the Aviva Premiership as well as up to 800 hours of live women's tennis, including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships.

    Other sporting action includes coverage from the Ultimate Fighting Championship and - from 2014 - exclusive live coverage of all the Moto GP qualifiers and races. Finally, the channels will show more than 100 hours of Red Bull Sports and Lifestyle programming.

For further information

Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.btplc.com/News

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group's reported revenue was £18,103m with reported profit before taxation of £2,315m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. 

For more information, visit www.btplc.com

 

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