BT Sport have gone out and spluffed £1.2billion to extend their deal to broadcast the Champions League until 2021 – which is likely to come as great news for the literally tens of people who still pay to watch the Champions League via legal means.
BT have been screening the tournament (as well as the Europa League) since 2015 after first securing the rights from UEFA two years earlier with a whopping £897million outlay.
The new deal is reportedly worth an eye-watering £394million per season, and ensures that BT now have exclusivity across all live games and highlights – thus putting an end to ITV’s weekly free-to-air highlights show.
This from BBC Sport:
BT Sport, owned by Britain’s biggest broadband and mobile operator BT, is a paid subscription service.
But it said it would make clips, weekly highlights, and both finals available to watch for free on social media.
Wonder if that monthly subscription fee might start to creep up in the coming months?
To the streams, people! To the streams!