Will BT Sport be free on Virgin next season?
mickwall
Posts: 44 Forum Member
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Thinking of ditching both BT broadband and Sky TV combo to get everything from Virgin.
With BT Sport getting Champs League next season I really need to have BT Sport, so wondering if anyone knew the length of contract Virgin have with BT Sport? ie, will it be free as part of XL/Big Kahuna etc into next season? and maybe beyond?
Thanks
With BT Sport getting Champs League next season I really need to have BT Sport, so wondering if anyone knew the length of contract Virgin have with BT Sport? ie, will it be free as part of XL/Big Kahuna etc into next season? and maybe beyond?
Thanks
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Comments
The contract runs for another year, not sure if there's any guarantee in that which means BT Sport will remain free for those packages though
Thanks for that, that's good news.
So if I sign up, commit for a period I can re-assess the whole football coverage landscape in 18 months time. Who knows where it will be?
As you say, you'd expect BT to start charging somewhere down the line.
I wouldn't say free on XL, more like included on XL.
No problem at all.
Yep you have approx 20 months of the current deal between VM and BT remaining which allows VM to give all XL customers the BT Sport channels as part of that package and all other customers the ability to access BT Sport, ESPN etc as a subscription service.
That deal was announced on 15th August 2013 so expires August 2016.
I'm afraid not...
http://www.btplc.com/news/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=45262846-58D9-4D23-9DA8-3FB9234B29AB
Nice one, thanks for clarifying that. Happy days.
I don't think they'll be a patch on Sky and will probably not carry every match on red button, which is something fans have got used to.
I think their coverage of UK football stinks too.
so I doubt it will just be a status quo arrangement with BT sports just staying as an included channel in the XL package, they are taking on too much new content and possibly adding an extra channel dedicated to European football as well
I don't think they are that bad, especially considering they are relatively new to the game (so-to-speak). Not as good as Sky but they could be with time and as content increases as their subscription revenues are then likely to increase allowing greater investment in the production rather than all of the investment heading towards buying up new rights'.
I also think they will carry all the games on the Red Button as Sky currently do but that's a guess in my part.
IMO the above in bold is not a given. Sky have no choice (again IMO) but to retain as many of the PL packages that they currently have (and arguably need the packages with first picks which they don't currently possess) otherwise they are in big trouble when it comes to retaining a lot of subscribers who's main requirement is for football matches.
BT may be happy with a couple of packages just to complement what is already going to be a strong lineup with CL, Europa League, FA Cup etc.
The following is not an anti-Sky thing, just what I think might happen... Sky may significantly overbid for the rights in a panic and regret their decision soon afterwards as they realise BT never intended to challenge them for certain packages. It would be a silent 'up yours' from BT to Sky too which I'm sure BT would like to do as it's a bit of symbolic power to them (playing Sky at their own game).
BT made a big mistake paying a billion for CL (400 million over the top) they will have to do a LOT to get this money back and the only real way to do this is get a bite of skys millions of subscribers.
Plus sky now own all of SKY europe which could mean if BT dont allow sky in they could just show sky deutchland or italias matches through the broadcast rights of eu broadcasters
Quite possibly going to get worse as bids have to be in for the next round of PL rights by the first week in Feb, rumour has it the bein sport and Disney/discovery are thinking of entering the process so maybe more cost, good work EU
No they couldn't whatever rights Sky Deutchland and Sky Italia own are for those specific countries not the UK.
Great isn't it? I'd love them to explain how this benefits the consumer.
Surely BT wouldn't sell the current ESPN(UK) back to TWDC (rather just rebrand it BTS3) so the Mouse would have to start a new channel.
Just wondering.
I read In financial pages if I remember correctly Disney is linked to discovery and therefore Eurosport so the channells are already there to be used with more content, there are several packages to bid for and speculation was they were thinking of throwing their hat in the ring, as for bein I think it's just s matter of time as they are backed from Qatar so money would not be an issue
I guess expanding British Eurosport would be a good way to do that. Still seems odd if Disney are involved but without ESPN branding.
Sky Germany and Italy have the RIGHT under EU law to show matches to ANYONE in Europe which is why the law is so clouded about football matches shown in pubs which sky is constantly fighting to stop
and its also the reason sky got a license to broadcast (from luxemburg) into the UK in the first place.
its the PL that are fighting to stop eu broadcasts but eu law prohibits them from stopping the broadcasts.
the EU football doesnt work the same in the UK it is the clubs that sell right to broadcast that teams matches its only the uk that has an organisation like the PL
If its that simple why they fighting tooth and nail to retain the UK rights ?
With you, no interest in sport. Period