BT Purchase ESPN

mobilymobily Posts: 261
Forum Member
Hey all

With the news that BT have acquired ESPN in readiness for showing English and Scottish Premier League games next season does anyone know what will happen re: ESPN on Virgin?

I do hope we get something as the recent price increases plus the removal of ESPN from the package would be a bitter pill to swallow!

Comments

  • BenMcr77BenMcr77 Posts: 6,573
    Forum Member
    Nothing has been announced yet. As BT have only confirmed to buying the channels today, these things do take time to work through
  • barney15cbarney15c Posts: 63
    Forum Member
    I'll be seriously considering downgrading my package down as free ESPN was the deal breaker for me...I wonder how many other subscribers will be doing the same. I cant see BT doing a deal with VM , whats in it for BT to do so?
    I wonder if there will be a seperate sports package for the £8 a month i will be saving by downgrading.
  • Richard1960Richard1960 Posts: 20,336
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    barney15c wrote: »
    I'll be seriously considering downgrading my package down as free ESPN was the deal breaker for me...I wonder how many other subscribers will be doing the same. I cant see BT doing a deal with VM , whats in it for BT to do so?
    I wonder if there will be a seperate sports package for the £8 a month i will be saving by downgrading.

    How do you know BT might well be prepared to do a wholesale deal with VM,they need viewers to sell ads and a wholesale deal would be better then selling naff all subs at £10 a time.

    Its far too early to tell if a wholesale deal will emerge.
  • gorsewaygirlgorsewaygirl Posts: 311
    Forum Member
    I have to say I hate this trickle of information. We watch ESPN all of the time for the rugby and don't have Sky Sports. I really want to know sooner rather than later what BT's plans are and how they will effect my viewing. I will also be upset after the recent price increases to lose ESPN and have nothing in its place.
  • t33v33t33v33 Posts: 260
    Forum Member
    I have to say I hate this trickle of information. We watch ESPN all of the time for the rugby and don't have Sky Sports. I really want to know sooner rather than later what BT's plans are and how they will effect my viewing. I will also be upset after the recent price increases to lose ESPN and have nothing in its place.

    I think we are on the verge of a price war, all the conditions seem to be there ...

    Powerful new provider on the scene with own distribution network needs to attract custom.
    Other alternatives (eg SmartDNS over VPN) gaining ground.
    Disposable incomes reducing as economy bites.

    I'd be surprised if BT don't come to an arrangement with VM to offer a similar package to current ESPN.
  • walterwhitewalterwhite Posts: 56,554
    Forum Member
    BT can only make their PL rights work if they have a huge amount of subscribers. I would be very surprised if they didn't do a deal with Virgin.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,954
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I seriously doubt I will be getting BT Sport if it isn't in the XL pack. Sky Sports has more of what I watch anyway I might get rid of that after my 3 months half price is over as well. £25pm is just to much for what I use it.
  • bamindybamindy Posts: 160
    Forum Member
    As a consumer, I'm really peeved off that I need to buy the "one product", ie SPL football, from several suppliers. That's not right, surely... :mad:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,954
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    bamindy wrote: »
    As a consumer, I'm really peeved off that I need to buy the "one product", ie SPL football, from several suppliers. That's not right, surely... :mad:

    I thought it was just Sky and Espn, now Sky and BT?
  • Richard1960Richard1960 Posts: 20,336
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I seriously doubt I will be getting BT Sport if it isn't in the XL pack. Sky Sports has more of what I watch anyway I might get rid of that after my 3 months half price is over as well. £25pm is just to much for what I use it.

    Ditto £25.75 per month for sky sports is a price rise too far for me,when my half price sky sports sub runs out the net will be my friend ;).
  • gorsewaygirlgorsewaygirl Posts: 311
    Forum Member
    That is exactly why I don't subscribe to Sky Sports now - the price is out of hand. If BT Sport is not in the XL pack then I will be investigating what the web has to offer as well :(
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I suppose this makes sense from BT's perspective as it gets them a decent portfolio of sporting events to show on "BT Sport" and they seem to have done the deal for a low price too. However, I'll be sorry to see the end of ESPN Classic

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/25/espn-bt-vision
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 907
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    It says in that news article that 1 ESPN channel is likely to remain. With ESPN Classic going that just leaves ESPN UK, and ESPN America. I think we will be left with ESPN America personally, as with no premier leauge games to show on the channel there is not much left that will take peoples interests.

    What ESPN Channel do you think will remain ? I hope it's ESPN America myself.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,954
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I reckon BT will put all the stuff from ESPN UK on BT Sport 1 and 2 and keep ESPN America as it is, maybe get rid of the America bit and just call it ESPN.
  • alwaysabearalwaysabear Posts: 327
    Forum Member
    It says in that news article that 1 ESPN channel is likely to remain. With ESPN Classic going that just leaves ESPN UK, and ESPN America. I think we will be left with ESPN America personally, as with no premier leauge games to show on the channel there is not much left that will take peoples interests.

    What ESPN Channel do you think will remain ? I hope it's ESPN America myself.

    Sadly ESPNA is a shadow of its former self, no NHL,NFL really just MLB left and college sports. As an American sports fan it has been sad watching its demise over the last year.:(
  • Martin1Martin1 Posts: 8,238
    Forum Member
    It says in that news article that 1 ESPN channel is likely to remain. With ESPN Classic going that just leaves ESPN UK, and ESPN America. I think we will be left with ESPN America personally, as with no premier leauge games to show on the channel there is not much left that will take peoples interests.

    What ESPN Channel do you think will remain ? I hope it's ESPN America myself.
    Someone else on DS has said this
    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=64479214&highlight=#post64479214
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 907
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    martine93 wrote: »

    I've copied and pasted the post under this for other people to see.. Thanks for the info though, seeing as we get the same sport that was on ESPN America combined with British sport, i'm glad we are at least going to keep ESPN UK.

    " ESPN UK will continue as part of the BT pack from 1st Aug, ESPN A will cease, and that content will move onto ESPN UK.

    So there will be BT1, BT2 and ESPN UK in the BT Sports pack."
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,954
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I've copied and pasted the post under this for other people to see.. Thanks for the info though, seeing as we get the same sport that was on ESPN America combined with British sport, i'm glad we are at least going to keep ESPN UK.

    " ESPN UK will continue as part of the BT pack from 1st Aug, ESPN A will cease, and that content will move onto ESPN UK.

    So there will be BT1, BT2 and ESPN UK in the BT Sports pack."

    In that posters opinion.
Sign In or Register to comment.