Yes, but that's been a longstanding problem for any broadcaster trying to compete with Sky Sports.

If you don't like the "L" joke press red to get rid of it

I bow to you sir.....

It used to be speculated, in the very early days, that the BT Sport//ESPN named channel could eventually drop ESPN from its title to become "BT Sport 3" and so now it would be BT Sport 1-4 (but probably that won't happen anytime soon at least as branding the channel was part of the terms of the renewed long-term BT Sport//ESPN deal).

But one view is that it would all look tidier if it was simply BT Sport 1-4.

As for EPG slots on Sky who has 419 (formerly Extreme Sports)?


On the Sky EPG is anything more drastic likely than this?

413 BT Sport 1
414 BT Sport 2
417 BT Sport 3
426 BT Sport//ESPN

BiB - No sir. It was not part of the terms.
BT licensed the ESPN branding to use on the channel. They're not contractually required to use it if they chose not to.

Personally, id prefer them to adopt the model they have with AMC where its called 'AMC from BT' on the EPG but branded just as 'AMC' onscreen, so becoming 'ESPN from BT' on the EPG and then back to 'ESPN' onscreen
BT SPORT ESPN HD LIVE is massive and ruins alot of what im trying to watch

That seems most likely, unless BT have managed to hunt down whoever rents 416 to push BTS3 up a slot.

If they do manage to get 416, I wonder if BT would ever be tempted to do a trade-off with Sky, where At The Races moves to 413 and all the BT channels move into 414-417. Would being able to move two channels up the EPG be worth moving one down?

I genuinely surprised that they're dropping the 'Europe' moniker. I thought it seemed really classy, and the way that the channel DOG switched to the Champions League and Europa League logos when they showed those competitions made it seem as if it was a CL and EL channel and looked really good.

CL matches being on BT Sport 2 isn't quite the same, is it?!

Of course there was a test channel called BT Sport 3 just prior to BT Sport Europe's launch. These were from the 4th May 2015 and it would have been shortly afterwards it was in the Sky EPG as BT Sport Europe:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEJddQCWMAAIbYg.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEJddJnWgAAkk7Y.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEJddJeWMAAPPjd.jpg

Interesting points above including the one about the ESPN licence. So it could go BT Sport 1-4.


I suppose this may look strange to some when August comes. All that effort branding the channel and now the name is dropped. Some might even think the rights are going or have gone! There seems little point in waiting for that to be suggested!

I did wonder why BT Sport 2 was chosen to show Lincoln Red Imps v Celtic live and not BT Sport Europe but it is obvious now that it is just to make sure everybody gets preconditioned into using BT Sport 2 as their go to CL channel!

Perhaps the new big idea will be to make it an H shape!

Don't give em ****ing idea's

Hopefully the L stays as far away from the European repeats as possible!

I doubt it, they've spent a year Learning to DRIVE subscriptions to their channels.

Hardly rocket science when it has both 4K and UHD in the title now. Plus it fits with the chronological order:

BT Sport 1
BT Sport 2
BT Sport 3
BT Sport 4K UHD

Makes sense.

Good spot

Move follows on from Sky's 10% increase.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/R...owing-Sky-move

Apart from a little Baseball & Euro 96 action I've barely watched it since the end of May.

From what I gather Moto GP is the biggest draw they have, most contracts are probably tied up long term so there's not much they can do to get more live coverage.

Perhaps they should go down the vintage front to gain the odd viewer.

So it is being touted that UFC have renewed with BT Sport for double the amount paid last time. Do we think this is good business for both ?

Any sign of the Swiss Superleague this coming weekend? I just checked the website and nothing appears as yet...

No, but as a 'filler' they've just got rights to that Indian Futsal League that Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, etc, will be playing in.

Sure I read somewhere (along with mentioning the Chinsese Super League) that BT Sport may *ponder* getting the Turkish Super Lig, now that the international rights are no longer with MP & Silva.

Virgin Media subscribers in Ireland will lose BT Sport on 1/8/16:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2166031

And Eir Sports too (Formerly Setanta) as Eir acts as BT's selling agent in Ireland!
This has no effect on the rest of the UK as Virgin media has a carriage deal with BT Sport.

Somebody is quoting that virgins uk deal for BT sport runs out in August (3 year deal last time in August 2013), although another source is saying they have renewed already.

Anybody have anything more

As I posted on the other thread richardcoulter just started and also a few weeks back on this one the agreement beteween VM and BT in Aug 2013 was for 3 years
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...gin-Media.html

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=8210

There has been no further announcement, has there?


I guess that would be me (about the August 2013 3 year deal) but where is the renewal info?

Question is what deal did VM do when it added BT Sport Europe in July last year?

No, but, if they were to be dropped, id fully expect VM to have made this announcement along with this and they haven't so that would suggest to me atleast that during the contract changes for BT Sport Europe, there would have been an additional carriage agreement extension and save them both alot of time!
Obviously i don't have a source for that and its purely speculative but it leans that direction atleast!

Might be worth someone firing them a Tweet or something, see what they say and are able to clarify!