BBC and BT Sport Bag Four Years of FA Cup TV Content from 2014

Customers of BT’s Sport TV service, which is being given away for free alongside the operators various home broadband packages (here), will between 2014 and 2018 also gain access to FA Cup matches alongside a joint deal with the BBC.

Former F1 presenter, Jake Humphrey, will front BTSport’s coverage from BT’s new studios in the Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford. BTSport itself are already due to show live matches from The FA Cup in the 2013-14 season along with 38 live Barclays Premier League matches and a range of “top class” football events from leagues across the world.

Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Retail, said:

“BT Sport made a determined joint bid to retain The FA Cup rights because we believe it is one of the truly great club football competitions.

We are thrilled to bring our viewers the incredible stories of passion, and victories against all odds, that pepper the history of the competition. These include Leeds United being humbled by Second Division Sunderland in the 1973 final, right up to May this year, when unfancied Wigan Athletic defeated Manchester City at Wembley.

We will be fielding a superb line up of presenting talent to showcase and analyse all of the action. And because BT Sport is free with BT broadband on BT TV, online or via satellite we are confident that we can reach a large audience rapidly.”

Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, added:

“Bringing the FA Cup back to the BBC was something I really wanted to do and I am so pleased that we have achieved it for football fans everywhere. There is something very special about big national moments on the BBC and the FA Cup should absolutely be one of them.

The Olympics, Wimbledon and Glastonbury have shown how our audiences love it when we put the full weight of all our services on TV, radio and digital behind covering these events in depth and in ways no one else can. Working closely with the FA I believe we will change the way we view the FA Cup forever.”

BTSport will go live from 1st August 2013.