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BT SPORT pay £1billion for Champions League Exclusivity

microbarmicrobar Posts: 136
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in Sky #1
Beginning of the end for Sky Sports.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/09/bt-sport-deal-champions-league-rights
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    Satellite JohnSatellite John Posts: 1,881
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    #2
    Are BT actually crazy? They will never get a return on this sport investment.
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    RagnarokRagnarok Posts: 4,655
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    #3
    That is officially crazy. It does guarantee them more of the big teams on their channels than the premier league rights.

    I get BT sports at no additional cost with my broadband and phone (free implies it costs nothing) but I can't see that lasting.
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    peter05peter05 Posts: 3,569
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    #4
    Great for BT but bad for ITV and sky although I do not think ITV could have stood a chance to get the Champions League on there own, So it would have properly gone to sky anyway, But well done BT
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    ozsatozsat Posts: 5,744
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    #5
    The article also says "An anticipated three-year agreement would also lead to the company showing Europa League fixtures."

    But they already do!
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    kenedinkenedin Posts: 547
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    #6
    Ragnarok wrote: »

    .........I get BT sports at no additional cost with my broadband and phone (free implies it costs nothing) but I can't see that lasting.

    Neither can I. Somebody's going to have to pay for this. Step forward the customers:(
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    TiwttmosTiwttmos Posts: 2,573
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    #7
    Will there be anything left worth watching when Sky Sports Ultra HD begins:rolleyes:
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    HarshadHarshad Posts: 5,996
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    #8
    Tiwttmos wrote: »
    Will there be anything left worth watching when Sky Sports Ultra HD begins:rolleyes:

    The Sky Sports news ladies:D
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    sps1013sps1013 Posts: 700
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    #9
    Crazy, crazy, crazy!

    Its unbelievable that this is happening. I'm all for more so called competition but this is ludicrous.

    2 things should or ought to happen here:

    1) Sky Sports drop its prices on all platforms as a result of not having the matches.

    2) BT will put up their prices as I cannot see any way they can afford this. Unless somebody is bank rolling them!

    If option one happens, people might leave BT Sport alone, leaving a drop in revenue.

    Personally, I can't see BT Sport being free to any BT customer post August 2014.

    Just my views.
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    drabbledrabble Posts: 757
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    #10
    No matter it just means the CL will probably be dead to me 2015 onwards like IndyCar and NASCAR this year.

    Even if I had any inclination of subscribing BT's PL presentation would of put me off.

    Shame on UEFA though by not insisting on some FTA live rights.
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    Dave-HDave-H Posts: 9,940
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    #11
    microbar wrote: »
    Beginning of the end for Sky Sports.
    You wish!
    :)
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    Rich_LRich_L Posts: 6,110
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    #12
    BT Sport is free for customers NOW.

    Nobody said it would always be free.

    As for Sky Sports lowering their prices... when hell freezes over.
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    Rich_LRich_L Posts: 6,110
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    #13
    Tiwttmos wrote: »
    Will there be anything left worth watching when Sky Sports Ultra HD begins:rolleyes:

    Harry redknapps saggy eyes.
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    Rich_LRich_L Posts: 6,110
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    #14
    Waiting to see if this gets reported on sky news...

    :D
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    tomvoxxtomvoxx Posts: 2,340
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    #15
    BT have deep pockets so it means genuine competition. I'm not sure that customers will benefit from this though. The amount that BT will shell out will have to be offset by subscription costs so I think the free to BT customers will end. I'm sure there will be a decent discount available to customers but it still means shelling out twice.
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    Dansky+HDDansky+HD Posts: 9,806
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    #16
    This is abysmal news as now we definitely need 2subs to get Premier League & Champions League.

    I'd have preferred Sky to have it ALL.

    Looks like a switch to BT Infinity in the next 18months.

    Gutted !!!!!
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    reddwarfcrewreddwarfcrew Posts: 23
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    #17
    Rich_L wrote: »
    Waiting to see if this gets reported on sky news...

    :D

    Well it was breaking news on their website pretty much straight away.
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    RadiomikeRadiomike Posts: 7,947
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    #18
    peter05 wrote: »
    Great for BT but bad for ITV and sky although I do not think ITV could have stood a chance to get the Champions League on there own, So it would have properly gone to sky anyway, But well done BT

    I bet if Sky had bid £1bn for the rights you wouldn't be saying well done Sky!

    It's only great for BT if it represents value for money. This deal alone is going to cost them £6m per week. It is unlikely they currently have more than 1m actual paying subscribers i.e not getting it free through broadband connection etc. If that number didn't increase those subscribers would have to pay £25 pm for them just to recoup the cost of this contract let alone EPL (£5m per week = £20 pm) or the other contracts. So 1m full paying subscribers would have to stump up £45 pm to cover the cost of these contracts alone. 2m subscribers = £22.50 pm. After that they are looking to retaining or gaining broadband customers who sign up primarily for the sport.

    Strikes me as a desperate throw of the dice - frankly they had to get the Champions League to strengthen their offer and they have massively overpaid to ensure that they did. Now they have to recoup the cost through subscribers or broadband sales/retentions. Huge gamble and completely distorting the sports rights market.

    Will be interesting to see how it works out although of course it will be 2015 before this deal kicks in.
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    TechnoGeekTechnoGeek Posts: 507
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    #19
    Sky have had this coming for along time, next year it will only be £3 a month to watch BT Sport in HD compared to to Sky"s sports rip off £21 a month & yes im a Sky customer Entertainment extra pus gives me 51 HD channels without the sports or movies pack. But very glad now i kept my broadband & T.V. seperate so i get the best of both worlds
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    RadiomikeRadiomike Posts: 7,947
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    #20
    TechnoGeek wrote: »
    Sky have had this coming for along time, next year it will only be £3 a month to watch BT Sport in HD compared to to Sky"s sports rip off £21 a month & yes im a Sky customer Entertainment extra pus gives me 51 HD channels without the sports or movies pack. But very glad now i kept my broadband & T.V. seperate so i get the best of both worlds

    Let's see how long that "only £3 pm" lasts now.
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    David_AylingDavid_Ayling Posts: 819
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    #21
    If sky droped the sky sports pack its self. they could add the sports channels to the Entertainment extra or Entertainment extra plus packs. as this is what has been done to Eurosports 1 & 2. as the Eurosport channel are not part of the sky sports pack.
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    Robin ArmitageRobin Armitage Posts: 487
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    #22
    I dont think it will make any difference to sky. IMO people dont have the sports package for champions league but watch it cos its there if they want to. I think BT have over estimated the importance of it and the only people who will suffer will be BT customers with increases in their core services and some charges coming in for sport. Sky sports wont drop in price but mite hold off futher increases and at the very least give them money to spend on other sports.:)
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    HarshadHarshad Posts: 5,996
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    #23
    Champions League is important it's the top European clubs playing each other who really wants to watch Reading v QPR
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    jimbojimbo Posts: 16,289
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    #24
    Given that most of the champions League and Europa League matches are played simultabeously, ie 8 at a time or so, that will probably mean a batch of red button channels appearing - I know it is 18 months away but surely that puts to a near end, the Sky Sports red btton service, which currently is mainly used for Champions League and F1.

    Given BT Sport uses Red Bee at present, and the current arrangement is on Sky's uplinks, I would expect a change of setup by that time, with Sky either only using red botton for F1 (for however long they have the contract for), or even closing the streams completely if they no longer have a use for them.

    It may also explain why these streams are not in HD
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    pburke90pburke90 Posts: 14,758
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    #25
    On the few rights BT Sport have and the short time they have been operating, they have made almost £1bn in pre-tax profits already. They could have simply used what they have made in the past couple of months to pay for this and what they will make from it in terms of future subscriber numbers and ad revenue would put the original figure they paid out for the rights to shame.

    Good on you BT, about time someone hit Sky where it hurts. I could see a lot of people cancelling their sports packs because of this.
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    AmbassadorAmbassador Posts: 22,333
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    #26
    Harshad wrote: »
    Champions League is important it's the top European clubs playing each other who really wants to watch Reading v QPR

    It'd be interesting to compare Reading v QPR ratings to say

    Porto vs Austria Vienna

    Middlesbrough - Doncaster got 228,000 viewers

    Celtic - Ajax got 247,000

    There's not a massive gap is there?
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