Posted: 26th May, 2006 By: MarkJ
In a joint bid with BSkyB (Sky Digital), BT's Internet TV (IPTV) service BT Vision has won the rights to carry 242 near-live FA Premier League football matches per season:
The three year deal covers the 2007-8, 2008-9 and 2009-10 seasons. This means fans will, for the first time, be able to watch full Premiership matches on their televisions on a pay per view basis - without the need for an upfront television subscription. The matches will be offered via BT Vision, the next-generation TV service due to launch in Autumn 2006.
The successful bid will enable BT Vision customers to enjoy a range of Premiership matches, on demand. The matches will generally be available from 10 pm on kick-off day for a period of fifty hours allowing fans flexibility in terms of when they want to watch the game. It means that BT Vision, which already has access to content from such well known names as BBC Worldwide, Paramount, Endemol, DreamWorks, National Geographic Channel and Warner Music Group, also has one of the most compelling sports-entertainment offers in the UK.
Hopefully BT is being careful to avoid making the same mistakes as ITV Digital did pre-Freeview, which partly came from ploughing tons of cash into football rights.