How many European matches will BT show?
Having paid £897m for the rights to all Champions League and Europa League matches over three years, BT will show all 351 games live on a new channel called BT Sport Europe. An interactive service will allow viewers to switch between matches, while a new programme will showcase all the goals.
I get BT Sport free with BT Broadband. Will I continue to do so?
Here’s where it starts to get complicated. You will still get BT Sport 1 (showing 38 Premier League games) free but to get BT Europe (which will house the European games), BT Sport 2 and ESPN you need to pay £5 a month extra – unless you also take BT TV.
Is it free if I upgrade to BT TV?
Yes. If you switch from Sky or Virgin Media to BT’s platform, it will be free for at least the first season. However, in a further twist, Sky Sports 3 and 4 are not currently available on BT TV.
How much will it cost if I take neither BT Broadband or BT TV?
At present it costs £13.50 to take the BT Sport channels via Sky if you don’t subscribe to BT Broadband or BT TV. BT has not yet announced the prices for next season.
Will it attract new customers?
Sky Sports has released figures showing that Champions League audiences are down a third and say that Premier League matches drive subscriptions not European action. BT Consumer’s chief executive, John Petter, hit back: “If some of my competitors are trying to show they’re not bothered, it’s a surprising way to do that. It’s more surprising to celebrate the fact that you’ve reduced the ratings for one of your most attractive offerings.”
Is this the end of Champions League football on free-to-air TV?
Not quite. As part of their deal, BT had to agree to show 12 Champions League matches and 14 Europa League games per season unencrypted. They will be on yet another new channel called BT Showcase and it has promised to show each competing British club at least once.
Isn’t all this a bit confusing?
With various options for watching Sky Sports (which will continue to have the majority of Premier League action) and BT Broadband – from on-demand offerings such as Now TV to pub broadcasts and monthly subscriptions – working out the most cost effective option will only get more difficult.
“It’s true that there are several options but we’ll be doing our best to make the best options clear. We’ll write to our existing customers and lay out the choices for them and get to the right answer for them,” insisted Petter. “The proposition is not that complex. With BT TV it’s free, if you’re with BT Broadband then BT Sport Europe is a fiver.”