euro news_news 28/11/2013 18:09 Page 1
focus on something
else. If we thought
it was worth more,
we’d have paid
n what is a major blow to BSkyB’s
I
more. Nothing
premium and ITV’s free-to-air
changes until 2015
coverage, UK telco BT has secured
and we look
the live broadcasting rights to UEFA
forward to 18 more
Champions League football matches from
months of live
2015 as well as for UEFA’s Europa League
Champions League
in a €1 billion + deal.
on Sky Sports. We
The move means that ITV’s sole live football
will now re-deploy
coverage from 2015 will be England’s home and
resources and
away matches, which it has tied up until 2018.
continue to bring
BT Sport and the BBC will take over FA Cup
customers the best
rights from the 2014/15 season. BSkyB has the
choice of TV across our offering.”
lion’s share of English Premier League games
BT has agreed to pay around £299 million a
games. Although we will always be careful about
what we spend, and we will look to spend wisely,
and the majority of the ‘top pick’ fixtures. BT
season for the rights, an amount it said it can
we have deep pockets to really compete in the
Sport has the rights to 38 games per season.
incur without changing its current financial
market.”
Both BSkyB and ITV face additional competition
outlook. The exact sum is €1,075,981,484.31.
from the BBC for the highlights package. UEFA
Marc Watson, CEO of BT TV, said in June
BT has pledged to make its new matches far
more accessible and affordable for fans who
BT snatches Champions League rights
said that an announcement on the awarding of
that the telco would “stick around for the long
wish to enjoy all the action. It also announced it
co-exclusive highlights rights in respect of both
term” with its sports channels and declared that
will show a selection of these new matches for
competitions would be made in due course.
the company had “deep pockets” to enable it to
free on BT Sport, even to homes that have not
Sky has suggested that its pay-TV rival has
compete for premium sports rights. He said that
signed up to the channels.
over-bid to secure the rights. A spokesman said:
BT wanted BT Sport to grow its whole consumer
“We bid with a clear view of what the rights are
business in the UK, and was confident in its
growth in BT Consumer revenue and profits
worth to us. It seems BT chose to pay far in
ability to compete with Sky. “We intend to stick
over the medium-term. BT will pay a deposit of
excess of our valuation. There are many ways in
around in this game for the long term. We are a
around £60m in November 2013 followed by
which we can invest in our service for
big business; this is our home market. We are a
six-monthly instalments commencing July 2015.
customers. We take a disciplined approach and
British company. And we’re not that easy to
Despite these payments, BT says its financial
there is always a level at which we will choose to
chase out of town. We’ve got the quality of
outlook is unchanged.
The rights are expected to drive additional
Freeview highlights
HD in new ad
UK DTT platform Freeview has
unveiled a new advertising
campaign encouraging viewers
to consider choosing a
Freeview HD television next
time they are looking to buy a
new TV.
The 20-second advert
signals a return of Freeview’s
helium balloons, this time
carrying a series of HDTVs
above the British countryside.
The ad showcases some of the
UK’s most-watched
programmes available on
Freeview’s four existing HD
channels; BBC One HD, BBC
Two HD, ITV HD and Channel 4
HD, and hints at more HD
channels to come.
The campaign is part of a
6 EUROMEDIA
dual marketing strategy.
Freeview’s recent ‘Tadpoles’
campaign aimed to build brand
awareness and engagement.
The new HD campaign
capitalises on this brand
building – giving people a
reason to reconsider pay TV
and showing the benef its of
buying a Freeview HDTV.
Freeview HD is already
enjoyed in 3.4m UK homes, a
number which Freeview
believes will significantly
increase with the promise of
more HD channels and the
availability of pre-Christmas
promotional offers on
televisions. Current sales of
HDTVs, which have increased
21% year-on-year, suggest
that consumers are already
taking advantage of a high
number of deals available from
leading manufacturers.
Owen Jenkinson, head of
marketing at Freeview, said the
platform had brought back the
widely-recognised balloons to
remind those people in the
market for a new television
that the best option, by far, is
a Freeview HD TV. “With four
of the nation’s most popular
HD channels already available
subscription-free, and more
HD channels on the way, a
Freeview HD TV is clearly an
attractive prospect – not least
as it will ensure the best
viewing experience of some
the most hotly-anticipated
programmes this Christmas.”
Freeview has launched an
updated online coverage
checker that will include
information on the proposed
new HD channels.