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BT Sports Channel |
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#251 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: South
Posts: 10,848
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Quote:
BT Sport has clearly assembled a significantly better sports rights portfolio than ESPN currently has. But how does it compare to Setanta in 2008/09? I think the main rights break down as follows:
Setanta 2008/09: - 46 PL games (Sat 5.30pm slot, no 1st picks) [vs 92 PL games on Sky] - FA Cup secondary package - England away World Cup qualifiers - England home friendlies - SPL (exclusive???) - Several European football leagues - US PGA Tour golf - Boxing (inc Hatton, Haye, Calzaghe) - Setanta Sports News channel - US Sports channel (NASN) BT Sport 2013/14: - 38 PL games (Sat 12.45pm slot, 18 1st picks) [vs 116 PL games on Sky] - FA Cup secondary package - SPL secondary package - Europa League (3rd and 4th picks) - Several European football leagues - Aviva Premiership rugby - Womens WTA Tennis - US Sports channel (ESPNA) It's easy to forget that in 2007/10 Setanta (/ ESPN) had 46 live PL games against only 92 on Sky. BT has the significant advantage of 18 1st picks (though we don't yet know quite how good these will prove to be) but it has 8 fewer games (38 compared to 46) and a worse timeslot. Sky meanwhile now has 116 games compared to 92 at that point. As far as the other rights are concerned it's a fairly close run thing - essentially boiling down to England away WC qualifiers and home friendlies, US PGA Tour golf and boxing on Setanta vs Europa League (3rd / 4th picks), Aviva Premiership and WTA tennis on BT Sport. In my view Setanta would just about edge that comparison though views will obviously differ. Setanta then had its own sports news channel - we haven't yet heard about any such operation from BT. Of course we have to remember BT is not finished yet and may well acquire many more rights. I still think, and am happy to be proved wrong, that having missed out on the bulk of PL rights that BT are now mainly concerned about getting Sky to retail them their sports channels at a decent price. Of course they can build a half decent sports channel with non PL rights that will tempt non pay tv customers to switch, however it will never be enough to convince football fans to ditch Sky if they can't offer them the same value. |
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#252 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,751
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I suppose the BT Sport package will be a rolling 30 day contract, like Setanta and ESPN were, even if they sell it themselves?
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#253 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 69,157
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Does anyone know what date these BT channels will start broadcasting, and when will ESPN's channels stop?
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#254 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,981
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Quote:
Does anyone know what date these BT channels will start broadcasting, and when will ESPN's channels stop?
How the channels pan out we don't know ie: ESPN UK - we guess this ceases 31/7 with BT Sport 1 transmitting in its slots from 1/8. ESPN A - we are pretty convinced this will continue on 1/8 but operated by BT. ESPN Classic - we know this will cease anytime up to and including 31/7. It is not being acquired by BT. |
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#255 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,429
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Quote:
Does anyone know what date these BT channels will start broadcasting, and when will ESPN's channels stop?
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Yes, I agree that we forget how good Setanta's rights were.
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#256 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Darn Sarf
Posts: 28,731
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Quote:
I suppose the BT Sport package will be a rolling 30 day contract, like Setanta and ESPN were, even if they sell it themselves?
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#257 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 69
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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. |
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#258 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 910
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Quote:
BT Sport has clearly assembled a significantly better sports rights portfolio than ESPN currently has. But how does it compare to Setanta in 2008/09? I think the main rights break down as follows:
Setanta 2008/09: - 46 PL games (Sat 5.30pm slot, no 1st picks) [vs 92 PL games on Sky] - FA Cup secondary package - England away World Cup qualifiers - England home friendlies - SPL (exclusive???) - Several European football leagues - US PGA Tour golf - Boxing (inc Hatton, Haye, Calzaghe) - Setanta Sports News channel - US Sports channel (NASN) BT Sport 2013/14: - 38 PL games (Sat 12.45pm slot, 18 1st picks) [vs 116 PL games on Sky] - FA Cup secondary package - SPL secondary package - Europa League (3rd and 4th picks) - Several European football leagues - Aviva Premiership rugby - Womens WTA Tennis - US Sports channel (ESPNA) It's easy to forget that in 2007/10 Setanta (/ ESPN) had 46 live PL games against only 92 on Sky. BT has the significant advantage of 18 1st picks (though we don't yet know quite how good these will prove to be) but it has 8 fewer games (38 compared to 46) and a worse timeslot. Sky meanwhile now has 116 games compared to 92 at that point. As far as the other rights are concerned it's a fairly close run thing - essentially boiling down to England away WC qualifiers and home friendlies, US PGA Tour golf and boxing on Setanta vs Europa League (3rd / 4th picks), Aviva Premiership and WTA tennis on BT Sport. In my view Setanta would just about edge that comparison though views will obviously differ. Setanta then had its own sports news channel - we haven't yet heard about any such operation from BT. Of course we have to remember BT is not finished yet and may well acquire many more rights. |
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#259 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: London
Posts: 861
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Quote:
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. |
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#260 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huddersfield
Posts: 5,797
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Quote:
what will ESPN UK have to fill their schedules out with?
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#261 |
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,628
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As far as I know the new line up was to be.
Bt sport 1 (formerly ESPN Uk) Bt sport 2 ESPN America (under bt control) |
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#262 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Broadway
Posts: 697
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Regardless of when ESPN change owners, I'm still cancelling my subscription 31 days prior to their last EPL game and let the new owners/operators tempt me at the start of the new season!
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#263 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,670
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ESPN America UK has a series of FAQs on its site about the changes. Does not add much but does refer several times to ESPN not leaving the UK, just, in effect, being under different control here (ie BT).
ESPN will not go off the air, it insists, its presence will just change. Suggests they wanted to retain a presence in the UK and may have insisted on the ESPN name continuing to retain the impression that they still exist in the UK. They also say that ESPN America will show what it shows now up to and after 31 July - though, again, without reference to MLB. |
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#264 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,981
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Quote:
Looking back Setanta did have some very good rights (I am personally not into Rugby so would shade it for me) Also didn't you get Racing UK thrown in as part of package? I never seemed to pay full price for Setanta either, either 3 months for £10 or £5 per month. I quite liked Setanta looking back for rights and what had to offer.
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#265 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,571
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Setanta really did overreach way too quickly. With better management they might still be around today.
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#266 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,408
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Quote:
They also say that ESPN America will show what it shows now up to and after 31 July - though, again, without reference to MLB.
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#267 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,670
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Quote:
I think we can safely assume that the existing ESPN America will have MLB coverage as normal until 31 July.
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#268 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,981
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Quote:
As far as I know the new line up was to be.
Bt sport 1 (formerly ESPN Uk) Bt sport 2 ESPN America (under bt control) If there's just going to be one ESPN-branded channel in the UK then they might as well just call it ESPN. This could also allow them a bit of flexibility if there were any fixture clashes in non-US sports. |
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#269 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: London
Posts: 1,373
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Quote:
The fact that the press release refers to a least one ESPN-branded suggests that BT has not decided 100% to retain the name ESPN America.
If there's just going to be one ESPN-branded channel in the UK then they might as well just call it ESPN. This could also allow them a bit of flexibility if there were any fixture clashes in non-US sports. |
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#270 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 608
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Quote:
The fact that the press release refers to a least one ESPN-branded suggests that BT has not decided 100% to retain the name ESPN America.
If there's just going to be one ESPN-branded channel in the UK then they might as well just call it ESPN. This could also allow them a bit of flexibility if there were any fixture clashes in non-US sports. |
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#271 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Posts: 7,582
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Quote:
Exactly
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#272 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: London
Posts: 1,373
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Quote:
I agree, I think that the ESPN channel will just be called ESPN, I do not think it will be called ESPN America, but of course we can be wrong, if BT decides to have a channel just for American sports
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#273 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 68
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Quote:
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. |
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#274 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,479
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Much as I like ESPN I feel that BT Sport will just be a carbon copy of a product. It'll have Setanta's approach to clip at the heels of Sky though just with a higher budget and the means to stay affloat doing so.
Pundit wise they really need someone like Stewart Robson. He isn't afraid of speaking the truth. |
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#275 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,479
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Clever of ESPN to cash in and still manage to keep on the UK scene with BT paying for the privilage of using a now established name sports wise here.
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