It's such a bizarre situation. They've let them (randomly!) have SS5 on the Vision box but they're still not letting them have any SS channels on the YouView box. Why on earth give them access to SS5 when they still don't have 2, 3, F1 or News?
I think Sky are busting a gut to keep the rights with the launch of Sky Sports 5 as a good example of that. Not that easy for BT Sports to fit the extra games in without impinging on its coverage of other leagues.
Definitely, however if BT could get La Liga that would totally make them the dominant channel and if they can't fit it into to their schedule, they could make BT Sport 3 couldn't they?. Anyway, how much did the rights go for last time?
860k (6.9%) average for the Community Shield final on BT Sport 1.
Excellent figures considering the Community Shield is still actually a pre-season match.
Is there any average figures for Liverpool v Dortmund?
Also, does anyone know how the European Football Show did yesterday for figures? It was advertised quite a bit during the matches on Sunday and it's such a brilliant show.
BT Sport has a really good European football line up, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Primeira Liga, FA Cup, German Cup, Coupe de France, UEFA Europa League and Champions League (from 2015). I just think that La Liga is the one league missing to make it the complete channel. Any ideas/speculation about BT Sport acquiring the rights for La Liga seeing as Sky Sports' deal ends next year?
It's such a bizarre situation. They've let them (randomly!) have SS5 on the Vision box but they're still not letting them have any SS channels on the YouView box. Why on earth give them access to SS5 when they still don't have 2, 3, F1 or News?
The contract with BSkyB for the supply of SS1 and 2 includes guarantees to protect BT from major content being shifted to other channels.
Home nation qualifiers and the Champions League will surely be amongst the main rights they want to protect. With SS5 being the main home for both of those from this season, there is likely a contractual requirement for BSkyB to offer the channel so that BT customers retain access to those matches.
BT are showing 2 matches live on ESPN this weekend from the Portuguese league.
Porto at 8.00 on Friday and Sporting at 8.30 on Saturday, with Benfica being showed delayed on Monday morning.
It dues mean that Caen v Lille has vanished from the schedule though... Maybe a digital exclusive?
I was just about to ask if anyone knew when BT would announce live Portuguese games with the league starting this weekend! Where did you find those details? Digiguide and the BT official guide don't seem to have updated with them just yet.
I was just about to ask if anyone knew when BT would announce live Portuguese games with the league starting this weekend! Where did you find those details? Digiguide and the BT official guide don't seem to have updated with them just yet.
How do you think BT will value their foreign leagues?
Obviously, Bundesliga and Serie A are the main foregin football leagues but can you see the Portuguese league being ranked above Ligue 1 in terms of what football gets on the main channels.
Also, will Julien Laurens be covering Portugese football on EFS after it was hinted in the first show with James Richardson bigging up his knowledge of the division.
How do you think BT will value their foreign leagues?
Obviously, Bundesliga and Serie A are the main foregin football leagues but can you see the Portuguese league being ranked above Ligue 1 in terms of what football gets on the main channels.
Also, will Julien Laurens be covering Portugese football on EFS after it was hinted in the first show with James Richardson bigging up his knowledge of the division.
Serie A
Bundesliga
PSG and Monaco
Portuguese league
Rest of Ligue 1
That's the order of BTs priorities looking at the early season picks I'd say.
Serie A
Bundesliga
PSG and Monaco
Portuguese league
Rest of Ligue 1
That's the order of BTs priorities looking at the early season picks I'd say.
Agree with that. I suspect if BT were to get La Liga rights when they're up for auction soon, we'd see Ligue 1 games very much reduced, with only the biggest games getting coverage. They do seem to rate lower than Serie A / Bundesliga and La Liga would I imagine go straight to their highest rated league in terms of viewing figures.
Can clubs sell tv rights to their matches to european companies, or is it all done by their countries federations via all league games via blocks as per EPL ?, i thought Real & Barca sold their games seperate from Spanish federation?, or was that just in Spain?.
Can clubs sell tv rights to their matches to european companies, or is it all done by their countries federations via all league games via blocks as per EPL ?, i thought Real & Barca sold their games seperate from Spanish federation?, or was that just in Spain?.
It's all done collectively for international sales.
The contract with BSkyB for the supply of SS1 and 2 includes guarantees to protect BT from major content being shifted to other channels.
Home nation qualifiers and the Champions League will surely be amongst the main rights they want to protect. With SS5 being the main home for both of those from this season, there is likely a contractual requirement for BSkyB to offer the channel so that BT customers retain access to those matches.
I'm aware of the requirements re important/high profile events but they could easily have got around that by sticking a game on SS2 as they did up to last season and they'd likely avoid any backlash by sticking the rest on SS5 or previously SS4.
It seems a very odd situation. Obviously we know Sky introduced SS5 purely as a gimmick to tie as many people as possible down to 2-year contracts but there was some speculation that they were also using it as a weapon against BT in their final season of CL coverage + sticking La Liga on there too. I don't see how it would cause regulatory involvement if they stuck to the one game on 2 - everything else on 5 formula.
The fact they're offering BT SS5 makes it seem very petty now by not offering 3 & 4.
So it's all change for BT Sport programming this season. Baker and Kelly move to Mondays, as does Rugby Tonight. BTSP is scaled back to half an hour on Wednesdays. As far as I can see Lifes a Pitch is no more. However Des Kelly has left talksport citing exciting opportunities at BT Sport in the form of Sportshub (which he hosted tonight) and Follow the Football (which has taken over the Life's a Pitch twitter handle so is presumably a tweaked version of that).
Saturdays appear to merge into one all-day brand of Matchday Live, featuring various sports and programmes. After the new morning show and the live football there'll be rugby (when that returns next month) at 3pm then following that Sportshub with Paul Dempsey to round up the day. I imagine there'll also be live European football with him in that post-rugby slot for most weeks.
I'm aware of the requirements re important/high profile events but they could easily have got around that by sticking a game on SS2 as they did up to last season and they'd likely avoid any backlash by sticking the rest on SS5 or previously SS4.
It seems a very odd situation. Obviously we know Sky introduced SS5 purely as a gimmick to tie as many people as possible down to 2-year contracts but there was some speculation that they were also using it as a weapon against BT in their final season of CL coverage + sticking La Liga on there too. I don't see how it would cause regulatory involvement if they stuck to the one game on 2 - everything else on 5 formula.
The fact they're offering BT SS5 makes it seem very petty now by not offering 3 & 4.
I think what it boils down to is that Sky believe that the use of SS5 as a marketing tool (both for Sky Sports TV and for Sky broadband) outweighs any issues re BT.
We know very few BT TV subs take Sky Sports (seem to recall figure of 5%?) so the impact on BT isn't really significant either way.
From a contractual point of view I'm sure you're right - they could have stuck to the CL - one game on SS2, rest on SS5 formula. But they obviously prefer to do it this way so they can use the "Home of European Football" catchphrase in promoting Sky Sports TV and Sky broadband.
NB. Most of the focus on here has (understandably) been on Sky broadband but I think the promotion of Sky Sports TV is also quite important - creating SS5 helps imply Sky Sports is growing / "moving forward".
Of course it's all really just cosmetic as there is no significant change in rights but it's given them something to say.
I think they do - they definitely showed at least a couple of games from it last season, so unless the rights changed for this season and someone else has bid for them I'd expect it to still be on BT.
I'm aware of the requirements re important/high profile events but they could easily have got around that by sticking a game on SS2 as they did up to last season and they'd likely avoid any backlash by sticking the rest on SS5 or previously SS4.
In the past Sky scheduled the main games for SS1 and 2 and alternative options on SS3 and 4, unless forced otherwise by clashes. They are now scheduling the main international and European match choices on SS5 with the alternative options on the other channels.
Do you seriously believe BT and their subscribers would be okay with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Scotland, and Wales being shown exclusively on SS5 just so long as they got to see something else at the same time?
I don't see how it would cause regulatory involvement if they stuck to the one game on 2 - everything else on 5 formula.
It has nothing to do with regulatory involvement, or the courts, the requirement is a part of a private commercial contract between BT and BSkyB. And that will certainly involve far more specific language over scheduling, giving BT certain guarantees, than the suspended WMO remedy which only says Ofcom may investigate changes to consider whether further action is required.
BT has spent far too much on their legal team to allow Sky to be able to withhold home nations and the biggest drawing teams in Europe from their platform alone.
I think they do - they definitely showed at least a couple of games from it last season, so unless the rights changed for this season and someone else has bid for them I'd expect it to still be on BT.
Are you sure you're not referring to the Coupe de la Ligue?
It has nothing to do with regulatory involvement, or the courts, the requirement is a part of a private commercial contract between BT and BSkyB. And that will certainly involve far more specific language over scheduling, giving BT certain guarantees, than the suspended WMO remedy which only says Ofcom may investigate changes to consider whether further action is required.
BT has spent far too much on their legal team to allow Sky to be able to withhold home nations and the biggest drawing teams in Europe from their platform alone.
That legal team hasn't succeeded yet in getting any Sky Sports services on to their You View boxes/platform has it. SS5 will only be on the older BT Vision boxes.
BTSP is scaled back to half an hour on Wednesdays.
How ridiculous is this. In my opinion BT should have either continued with it in the Saturday slot or given it the axe. When they said the programme would be given a new time slot I thought it might be later on that Saturday - although I still didn't see the point in that. And then they put it in the "dead" slot of Wednesday night and have it scheduled for half an hour when last season it was 2 1/2 hours. What a waste. Just axe the bloody programme!
In the past Sky scheduled the main games for SS1 and 2 and alternative options on SS3 and 4, unless forced otherwise by clashes. They are now scheduling the main international and European match choices on SS5 with the alternative options on the other channels.
Do you seriously believe BT and their subscribers would be okay with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Scotland, and Wales being shown exclusively on SS5 just so long as they got to see something else at the same time?
It has nothing to do with regulatory involvement, or the courts, the requirement is a part of a private commercial contract between BT and BSkyB. And that will certainly involve far more specific language over scheduling, giving BT certain guarantees, than the suspended WMO remedy which only says Ofcom may investigate changes to consider whether further action is required.
BT has spent far too much on their legal team to allow Sky to be able to withhold home nations and the biggest drawing teams in Europe from their platform alone.
They didn't schedule main games on SS1 & 2 though? Champions League coverage was on SS2 & SS4 - with occasional games also being shown on Sky1 - that's 2 channels not available on the BT TV service, either via a Vision+ or a YouView box. Suddenly, it's now a requirement to carry SS5 just because they're using that in place of SS3 and/or SS4?
The effect on BT customers is minuscule in terms of SS customers, so much so that I'd hazard a guess the vast majority of people who would be interested in a home nations match involving Scotland or Wales will already subscribe to a provider offering all the Sky Sports channels - i.e. direct from Sky or through Virgin for times one of their matches will have been shown on SS3 or SS4 in the past, as has been the case with things like live clashes.
They didn't schedule main games on SS1 & 2 though? Champions League coverage was on SS2 & SS4 - with occasional games also being shown on Sky1 - that's 2 channels not available on the BT TV service, either via a Vision+ or a YouView box. Suddenly, it's now a requirement to carry SS5 just because they're using that in place of SS3 and/or SS4?
mavreela meant that the number 1 game (not main games plural as in number 1 + number 2) was on SS1 or SS2 (usually SS2 but sometimes SS1 in knock-out rounds).
So BT (with SS1 + SS2) was getting the number 1 game.
Now Sky is putting the number 1 game on SS5 - so BT needs to get SS5 to maintain the status quo re the number 1 game - which (per mavreela, who I'm sure is right though I've not checked this myself) is required per Sky/BT contract as submitted in evidence to CAT appeal.
Comments
It's such a bizarre situation. They've let them (randomly!) have SS5 on the Vision box but they're still not letting them have any SS channels on the YouView box. Why on earth give them access to SS5 when they still don't have 2, 3, F1 or News?
Definitely, however if BT could get La Liga that would totally make them the dominant channel and if they can't fit it into to their schedule, they could make BT Sport 3 couldn't they?. Anyway, how much did the rights go for last time?
Excellent figures considering the Community Shield is still actually a pre-season match.
Is there any average figures for Liverpool v Dortmund?
Also, does anyone know how the European Football Show did yesterday for figures? It was advertised quite a bit during the matches on Sunday and it's such a brilliant show.
BT has the rights to the Coupe de France?
Porto at 8.00 on Friday and Sporting at 8.30 on Saturday, with Benfica being showed delayed on Monday morning.
It dues mean that Caen v Lille has vanished from the schedule though... Maybe a digital exclusive?
The contract with BSkyB for the supply of SS1 and 2 includes guarantees to protect BT from major content being shifted to other channels.
Home nation qualifiers and the Champions League will surely be amongst the main rights they want to protect. With SS5 being the main home for both of those from this season, there is likely a contractual requirement for BSkyB to offer the channel so that BT customers retain access to those matches.
On the Sky EPG
Obviously, Bundesliga and Serie A are the main foregin football leagues but can you see the Portuguese league being ranked above Ligue 1 in terms of what football gets on the main channels.
Also, will Julien Laurens be covering Portugese football on EFS after it was hinted in the first show with James Richardson bigging up his knowledge of the division.
Porto v Maritimo on Friday and Academica v Sporting on Saturday.
Serie A
Bundesliga
PSG and Monaco
Portuguese league
Rest of Ligue 1
That's the order of BTs priorities looking at the early season picks I'd say.
It's all done collectively for international sales.
I'm aware of the requirements re important/high profile events but they could easily have got around that by sticking a game on SS2 as they did up to last season and they'd likely avoid any backlash by sticking the rest on SS5 or previously SS4.
It seems a very odd situation. Obviously we know Sky introduced SS5 purely as a gimmick to tie as many people as possible down to 2-year contracts but there was some speculation that they were also using it as a weapon against BT in their final season of CL coverage + sticking La Liga on there too. I don't see how it would cause regulatory involvement if they stuck to the one game on 2 - everything else on 5 formula.
The fact they're offering BT SS5 makes it seem very petty now by not offering 3 & 4.
Saturdays appear to merge into one all-day brand of Matchday Live, featuring various sports and programmes. After the new morning show and the live football there'll be rugby (when that returns next month) at 3pm then following that Sportshub with Paul Dempsey to round up the day. I imagine there'll also be live European football with him in that post-rugby slot for most weeks.
I think what it boils down to is that Sky believe that the use of SS5 as a marketing tool (both for Sky Sports TV and for Sky broadband) outweighs any issues re BT.
We know very few BT TV subs take Sky Sports (seem to recall figure of 5%?) so the impact on BT isn't really significant either way.
From a contractual point of view I'm sure you're right - they could have stuck to the CL - one game on SS2, rest on SS5 formula. But they obviously prefer to do it this way so they can use the "Home of European Football" catchphrase in promoting Sky Sports TV and Sky broadband.
NB. Most of the focus on here has (understandably) been on Sky broadband but I think the promotion of Sky Sports TV is also quite important - creating SS5 helps imply Sky Sports is growing / "moving forward".
Of course it's all really just cosmetic as there is no significant change in rights but it's given them something to say.
In the past Sky scheduled the main games for SS1 and 2 and alternative options on SS3 and 4, unless forced otherwise by clashes. They are now scheduling the main international and European match choices on SS5 with the alternative options on the other channels.
Do you seriously believe BT and their subscribers would be okay with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Scotland, and Wales being shown exclusively on SS5 just so long as they got to see something else at the same time?
It has nothing to do with regulatory involvement, or the courts, the requirement is a part of a private commercial contract between BT and BSkyB. And that will certainly involve far more specific language over scheduling, giving BT certain guarantees, than the suspended WMO remedy which only says Ofcom may investigate changes to consider whether further action is required.
BT has spent far too much on their legal team to allow Sky to be able to withhold home nations and the biggest drawing teams in Europe from their platform alone.
Are you sure you're not referring to the Coupe de la Ligue?
That legal team hasn't succeeded yet in getting any Sky Sports services on to their You View boxes/platform has it. SS5 will only be on the older BT Vision boxes.
How ridiculous is this. In my opinion BT should have either continued with it in the Saturday slot or given it the axe. When they said the programme would be given a new time slot I thought it might be later on that Saturday - although I still didn't see the point in that. And then they put it in the "dead" slot of Wednesday night and have it scheduled for half an hour when last season it was 2 1/2 hours. What a waste. Just axe the bloody programme!
They didn't schedule main games on SS1 & 2 though? Champions League coverage was on SS2 & SS4 - with occasional games also being shown on Sky1 - that's 2 channels not available on the BT TV service, either via a Vision+ or a YouView box. Suddenly, it's now a requirement to carry SS5 just because they're using that in place of SS3 and/or SS4?
The effect on BT customers is minuscule in terms of SS customers, so much so that I'd hazard a guess the vast majority of people who would be interested in a home nations match involving Scotland or Wales will already subscribe to a provider offering all the Sky Sports channels - i.e. direct from Sky or through Virgin for times one of their matches will have been shown on SS3 or SS4 in the past, as has been the case with things like live clashes.
mavreela meant that the number 1 game (not main games plural as in number 1 + number 2) was on SS1 or SS2 (usually SS2 but sometimes SS1 in knock-out rounds).
So BT (with SS1 + SS2) was getting the number 1 game.
Now Sky is putting the number 1 game on SS5 - so BT needs to get SS5 to maintain the status quo re the number 1 game - which (per mavreela, who I'm sure is right though I've not checked this myself) is required per Sky/BT contract as submitted in evidence to CAT appeal.