Telecoms giant BT (LON:BT.A) has bagged ESPN’s UK and Ireland television business in its bid to usurp BSkyB (LON:BSY) as the UK’s top pay-TV sports broadcaster.
The deal sees BT take charge of ESPN’s live sports offering in the UK and Ireland, which includes live football from the FA Cup and Scottish Premier League.
Last summer, BT paid £738mln for the rights to show 38 top flight games a year for three seasons, outbidding ESPN in the process.
Sky won the rights to screen 116 games each season.
It was expected at the time that ESPN, which relied heavily on its live football rights, would give up on the UK market after the defeat.
BT launches its sport channel in the summer ahead of the new Premier League season, which kicks off in August.
It has enlisted the help of some big names in the broadcasting business, snapping up the BBC’s Jake Humphrey and Clare Balding to front the coverage from the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Shares lost 1.7% on the news.