BT is in talks to team-up with Discovery to create an all-new sport and entertainment bundle for UK subscribers. Discovery owns a number of popular properties, including Eurosport, The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Food Network and TLC, which can be accessed as part of its discovery+ streaming service. Eurosport owns the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Olympics in the UK, which is why you’ll only be able to watch some of the disciplines on BBC.
The new business would be a 50-50 joint venture, bringing together both BT Sport and Eurosport UK. According to those familiar with the talks, the new combined bundle will keep all of the major broadcast rights secured by BT Sport, including Premier League games, while those subscribed to BT Sport would also gain access to Discovery’s sport and entertainment content, including the discovery+ app. Sky Q customers are able to unlock a one-year subscription to discovery+ for free, thanks to a recent partnership between the firms.
After that, Sky customers will need to start paying each month to be able to stream Olympics coverage, on-demand boxsets, reality telly and feature-length films from Discovery via their Sky Q set-top box or Sky Glass television. For those with BT Sport, should the partnership get the rubber stamp, they might be able to continue watching all of the same content at no extra cost.
Speaking about the ongoing discussions with Discovery, BT CEO Marc Allera said: “The proposed joint venture with Discovery, Inc. would create an exciting new sports broadcasting entity for the UK and would act as a perfect home for our BT Sport business. With a shared ambition for growth, as well as the combination of our world-class sports assets along with Discovery’s premium sports and entertainment content, our customers will benefit from even more content in more places.”
BT Sport first arrived in August 2013. Following a successful bid from BT to secure the broadcast rights to the Premier League, the service – available as part of BT broadband and BT TV bundles, as well as an optional extra on Sky and Virgin Media hardware and via apps on iPhone, Android, and tablets – offered access to Premiership Rugby, Moto GP and International Cricket, as well as its football. Prices for the BT Sport package vary wildly.
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For example, customers on BT-owned EE mobile network can access the complete suite of BT Sport channels on their smartphone for as little as £10 a month. However, those with a Sky Q box or Sky Glass will need to pay as much as £27 extra each month to watch the exclusive fixtures. A subscription to discovery+ usually costs £59.99 a year to stream all entertainment and factual shows and films as well as sports from Eurosport. However, there are a number of deals available to reduce that cost.
Like a number of its competitors, including Netflix and Prime, discovery+ is also pouring funds into original content that won’t be available anywhere else. Only those who subscribe to its streaming service will be able to watch these shows and films. Although BT hasn’t confirmed what would happen to these in its 50-50 joint venture, it seems highly likely they’ll be included.
Published at Sat, 12 Feb 2022 08:31:00 +0000
Sky Sports faces colossal new rival as BT Sport hopes to combine forces with Discovery
