BT Sport makes its move

First topic message reminder :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22462525

BT Sport 1 and 2 will be free to BT Broadband customers. That is quite a lot of sport, including 38 live Premier Games. Quite incredible move, and might break the near-monopoly of Sky Sports. Hats off to BT for that.

But I did like Andy Gray

Azzy Mahmood wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:Same point as before, BT sport is cack.  If you want to have a happy w*nk about lower tier continental football then feel free but all the biggest and best Spanish games are on SS, little from the other leagues bar Dortmund and Bayern is worth watching, same with professional homo wrestling.  You also don't need BT for the best Tennis or Rugby coverage. And who the hell cares about American bloody baseball??

Don't get me wrong, if you're a workshy tax-avoiding bum with lots of spare time on your hands and a passion for literally anything sporty then maybe BT can float your boat.

This post kicked all this off. The topic had been mostly clean until TopHat decided to wade in with his brash style of insulting anyone with a different opinion to him

Spanish football is the absolute worst football in the World. It's incredibly boring. The standard may seem lower in other leagues due to more mistakes from more risk taking but I'd even prefer to watch an MLS game over La Liga.

And Olly is back in the game

La Liga is so tedious it's unreal. It's played at a snail's pace, there are very few quality players in the league, and the coverage does nothing to paper over its deficiencies. Give me Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, EPL, Championship, Eredivisie, heck, even the Jupiler league.

Where's Azzy gone.......??

Has he been booted off?

He asked for his account to be deleted, so it has been.

Welcome back Crimey mate  

Where you been recently?

Deleting people's accounts, apparently......

Azzy asked for his account to be deleted, and it wasn't me who did it. If you have a problem with it, find Azzy wherever he may be now and ask why he wanted to be deleted, I know for a fact the admin who did it didn't want to, we're not allowed to not delete accounts when the person requests it. I'm sure if you asked for your account to be deleted, whatever the circumstances, would want that request to be respected. Azzy even sent us a thank you for doing it.

BT and Open Reach are incompetent so I don't have internet at my house, despite supposed to have got it on the 23rd of September, three appointments have been missed as well as lots of other crap customer service. Decided just to start coming to University to go on t'internet because I actually need it to do work.

Alright Miss Sensitive, was only a cheeky needle......!

BT announce exclusive rights to all Champions League and Europa League games from 2015-2018.

Massive move. Sky will be furious. They will also make same number of games as ITV free to air, including both finals

ITV and BBC battling for highlights package. Lets hope BBC win that.

As a whole, still not a fan of BT's coverage compared to Sky, but interesting move.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:BT announce exclusive rights to all Champions League and Europa League games from 2015-2018.

Massive move. Sky will be furious. They will also make same number of games as ITV free to air, including both finals

What a disaster this is, say good bye to your "free package" 1.5 billion on football so far, gonna be massive subscription fees around the corner.

Annoyed sky have let this happen but it must not have been financially viable for them.

It's all going to end in tears for BT. Paying twice as much as Sky and ITV did combined.

Theyve got the money

They best get their signal sorted by then! Not watched a game yet on BT that hasn't crashed. They have decent listings I can just never get to see anything. Shoddy

It looks like BT have won a major battle getting the champions league fixtures.

Only thing letting BT down is that their tv service is basically just freeview with the added bt sports. They really need to create some more channels of their own like sky have sky one and sky alantic etc bt need to do the same.

sky atlantic is a must, some brilliant shows on there

There was no battle, they offered over twice what sky and itv our currently paying.

Stupid business.

I'll be honest, much like the WC and Euros, there should be a terrestrial option

GSC wrote:I'll be honest, much like the WC and Euros, there should be a terrestrial option

They're showing one free game each game week.

They've said they'll show the uk teams at least once a season and the final. Doesn't match up to itvs current offering.

Champions league should be on free TV without question. This is just wrong.

Ent wrote:They've said they'll show the uk teams at least once a season and the final. Doesn't match up to itvs current offering.

Oh yeah we won't get itv creaming their pants at United. And United fans will have to pay to watch their games.  

Bt now have epl games (currently 38 but that will increase) they have exclusive rights to show the FA cup, they show the europa league already and by 2015 that will be exclusve to Bt and by 2015 the Champions league will be exclusive to BT. They also show u21 football including england u21 and international football such as brazil and spain and they show the italian, french and german leagues. If you like football you really have to get bt sports in 2015.

So from 2015, BT will be the premier football broadcaster in the UK. Interesting, particularly since many doubted BT will be able to break Sky's hold.

Pure speculation on my part, but I would imagine that BT may lease out some of their games for BBC and ITV to show, and they'll obviously need a red button feature!

BT Sport need to find a better commentator than Michael Owen. The guy is a joke, I watched the United/Spurs game on Sunday and he was incredibly biased. Rooney kicked the ball past the defender and then did what most players do, ran straight in to him and Owen was saying it was a definite free kick. Andros Townsend did the same thing five minutes later and he said the complete opposite.

It's not just this game that he's annoyed me in, he did the Liverpool vs Everton game, at the start of the game he made a point of saying that Flanagan hadn't done anything to impress him and then continued to say how impressive he was when he made a tackle.

Good news for those that hate Michael Owen.


Andy Gray has joined BT Sport for the weekend to replace him

#TakeABowSon

Fantastic news. He needs Martin Tyler alongside him now. Richard Keys to present in. BT Sport are sorted.

Can't stand Gray one bit.

Marmite it appears.

He's better then Michael Owen Freeky. He is the worse commentator in footballing history except the guy who does Bundesliga Highlights on ITV.

Andy Gray is decent!

Tickkkk a booooo saaaana

I don't have BT Nando but have heard plenty of horror stories about Owen so it may well be a decent move.

I'd like to punch Michael Owen with Andy Gray's head, if that helps.

Gray was okay during the early PL years but then he forgot how to stop talking.

They did the Palace/Arsenal game free and it was Frak abysmal commentary from Owen, talking about random crap that was no relevance at all to the game.

dont mind gray, miles better than owen.

after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

I like Owen as a bloke, complete legend. But i think even he can say commentary isn't for him. He wouldn't be a bad pundit in the studio.

compelling and rich wrote:after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

Yep that's precisely what I said in August, but I was shouted down for it.

The Merseyside Derby and Tottenham-City on BT on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Champions League football on BT from 2015/16 as well, while Sky will have nothing live from Europe's biggest football tournament.

Sky's monopoly? Broken. Shattered.

Duty281 wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

Yep that's precisely what I said in August, but I was shouted down for it.

The Merseyside Derby and Tottenham-City on BT on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Champions League football on BT from 2015/16 as well, while Sky will have nothing live from Europe's biggest football tournament.

Sky's monopoly? Broken. Shattered.

I was one of the people who argued BT would overtake Sky.

BT have rights for 38 epl games, all the champions league and europa league games, FA cup games (shared with ITV) and international football along with bundsliga, seria A and the french league.

BT have overtaken sky for football.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

Yep that's precisely what I said in August, but I was shouted down for it.

The Merseyside Derby and Tottenham-City on BT on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Champions League football on BT from 2015/16 as well, while Sky will have nothing live from Europe's biggest football tournament.

Sky's monopoly? Broken. Shattered.

I was one of the people who argued BT would overtake Sky.

BT have rights for 38 epl games, all the champions league and europa league games, FA cup games (shared with ITV) and international football along with bundsliga, seria A and the french league.

BT have overtaken sky for football.

its the 38 games they need to improve on if they really want to put the nail in, its the bread and butter of what most football fans watch. and it only equates to one game per premier league week. dont know about you but id be disappointed to only have one game a week

for fans its better to have only one broadcaster, otherwise we end up paying for two its hardly like they have lowered there price. thats why i was dissapointed with bt arrival at the start of the year. i havent got it as paying for sky is enough

compelling and rich wrote:

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

Yep that's precisely what I said in August, but I was shouted down for it.

The Merseyside Derby and Tottenham-City on BT on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Champions League football on BT from 2015/16 as well, while Sky will have nothing live from Europe's biggest football tournament.

Sky's monopoly? Broken. Shattered.

I was one of the people who argued BT would overtake Sky.

BT have rights for 38 epl games, all the champions league and europa league games, FA cup games (shared with ITV) and international football along with bundsliga, seria A and the french league.

BT have overtaken sky for football.

its the 38 games they need to improve on if they really want to put the nail in, its the bread and butter of what most football fans watch. and it only equates to one game per premier league week. dont know about you but id be disappointed to only have one game a week

for fans its better to have only one broadcaster, otherwise we end up paying for two its hardly like they have lowered there price. thats why i was dissapointed with bt arrival at the start of the year. i havent got it as paying for sky is enough

They have 38 games NOW, once the epl bidding comes around again they will get a lot more games.

also BT is free, just change your broadband provider to BT and you get BT for free.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:after being dubious at first bt have really dominated the big games recently, mid week they have two good games to skys none. not sure sky can justify charging what they do with what they have had recently

Yep that's precisely what I said in August, but I was shouted down for it.

The Merseyside Derby and Tottenham-City on BT on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Champions League football on BT from 2015/16 as well, while Sky will have nothing live from Europe's biggest football tournament.

Sky's monopoly? Broken. Shattered.

I was one of the people who argued BT would overtake Sky.

BT have rights for 38 epl games, all the champions league and europa league games, FA cup games (shared with ITV) and international football along with bundsliga, seria A and the french league.

BT have overtaken sky for football.

its the 38 games they need to improve on if they really want to put the nail in, its the bread and butter of what most football fans watch. and it only equates to one game per premier league week. dont know about you but id be disappointed to only have one game a week

for fans its better to have only one broadcaster, otherwise we end up paying for two its hardly like they have lowered there price. thats why i was dissapointed with bt arrival at the start of the year. i havent got it as paying for sky is enough

They have 38 games NOW, once the epl bidding comes around again they will get a lot more games.

also BT is free, just change your broadband provider to BT and you get BT for free.

It's also free if you have the Virgin XL tv package.

From next season they'll share the FA Cup with the BBC. It's magic. We're heading for no more ITV!!!!

Wonder if BT will try and get Clive Tyldesley onto their commentary team, seeing as pretty soon ITV will only have England games and the odd Champions League fixture?

As long as they don't take Andy Townsend with him....

What's the cost of a full SKY package these days? A workmate was telling me the other day that he's paying 90 quid a month. That's with the internet n all but still.

Bt Sport might be like Setanta and ESPN of the last 5 years. Just end up falling apart after a season or 2. Which would be a shame, but I can see it happening. But there is never a good enough understudy on Sky Sports. I don't sign up to get any of these other channels as hey always fall apart year after year and it wastes money. But, apparently BBC will be taking some Premier League coverage next season which would be better as more people have access to watch that as always. Fantastic if that wad to happen. There's a good understudy.

FootballLight wrote:Bt Sport might be like Setanta and ESPN of the last 5 years. Just end up falling apart after a season or 2. Which would be a shame, but I can see it happening. But there is never a good enough understudy on Sky Sports. I don't sign up to get any of these other channels as hey always fall apart year after year and it wastes money. But, apparently BBC will be taking some Premier League coverage next season which would be better as more people have access to watch that as always. Fantastic if that wad to happen. There's a good understudy.

Bt sport is very different to setanta and ESPN because BT are an internet/phone provider so they have a customer base.

I was quite incredulous to discover that BT have employed the disgraced Andy Gray and the criminal Joey Barton as part of their commentary team.

Gray, who was ignominiously sacked (along with Richard Keyes) for making degrading, sexist comments into a live mic about female assistant referee Sian Massey before a match between Wolves and Liverpool a couple of seasons ago, and Joey Barton, who not only has one of the worst disciplinary records of any player ever, to add to civil convictions which led to imprisonment, were both employed by BT Sport today as part of their FA Cup coverage.

When watching the match between Stevenage and Everton, as soon as I heard that familiar, growling, guttural Scottish accent, I knew it was Gray.  I tried to tell myself that BT wouldn't do something so tasteless and stupid as to employ such a disgraced individual, but they have.

What will they do next..? Show re-runs of It's A Knockout with Stuart Hall..?

The two are on a par of course, Gray makes a comment that the majority of male viewers will have made and most will agree with too, he's not a disgraced sexual assaulter.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The two are on a par of course, Gray makes a comment that the majority of male viewers will have made and most will agree with too, he's not a disgraced sexual assaulter.

Then shame on those who would behave in that way, and shame too on those who would agree with Gray.

Decent men are made of better stuff.

The moment that video aired where Gray was putting his hands into his pants and telling a fellow female broadcaster to "adjust this" or whatever it was totally put me off the guy.

He was/is a sh!t co-commentator anyway. He'll melt at the sound of his own voice and then take a bow. Son.

I'm with Lion on this one. BT wont benefit anymore with Gray onside. The guy is a slime.

Comparing Andy Gray to a convicted sex offender? Bit over the top.

He made a joke that was in poor taste and rather irresponsible a few years ago....let's move on. He hasn't committed a crime or anything.