BT Sport to Hand Over to TNT Sports for Champions League
BT Sport is set to bid farewell to its audience with the Champions League final on Saturday, making way for TNT Sports, its successor. The channel is slated to go live on July 18th but has not yet launched its website in the UK. The cost of watching TNT Sports has not yet been confirmed. While the channel pledges to move forward with the UK’s existing deals for Premier League and Champions League, questions loom over some of the programmes that are being scrapped and the hosts and analysts who will present the live coverage. On a global scale, TNT Sport’s UK and Ireland offering appears as a solo cog in the universal wheel of content.
Unclear future of broadcasting sports
Intense uncertainty shadows the transformation of the broadcasting sports sector. Two years ago, it appeared that the sky was the limit, with global content providers like Netflix and Disney dominating the arena. Nevertheless, as businesses around the world are cutting costs, the future of sports broadcasting now seems less guaranteed. In this context, it is not surprising that BT Sport has had to hand over its offerings to TNT Sports. Though Sky insiders are anxious that American media giant TNT Sports might channel money into the next Premier League rights bidding this autumn, cost-cutting might become the top priority.
Details about TNT Sports
While the takeover might be helpful in expanding and upgrading Discovery’s business model, TNT Sports’ sole presence in the UK and Ireland presents a question as to whether acquiring Premier League and Champions League rights would allow TNT Sports to go directly to the customer through Discovery+. French Godard, founder of research company Enders Analysis, believes relationships with third parties such as Sky would play an essential role in the success of broadcasting these competitions when he said: “It’s not that it’s impossible, but it’s something that’s long term, and it will depend a lot on relationships with third parties, like Sky, selling it to consumers for you”.
A waiting game for viewers
BT Sport says it has not yet arrived at any decision pertaining to some of its existing employees, including those who work as presenters and analysts. BT Sport also confirmed that Jake Humphrey, its popular football host, will be departing after the Champions League. It is widely expected that his replacement will be Laura Woods, a well-known TalkSport and ITV presenter. However, there is no formal announcement yet.
The cost of accessing TNT Sports’ services and future plans
TNT Sports’ four channels are scheduled to be hosted on traditional TV platforms like Sky, Virgin, and BT TV. BT TV offers monthly passes for BT Sport at £28, while a subscription to the TNT via the Discovery+ app appears the only way to acquire its services, costing £6.99 a month and providing access to sports like cycling, tennis, snooker, motorsports, etc. In this regard, the entry of Warner Bros Discovery into the UK pay-TV and video-on-demand market is a significant development that could translate into favorable outcomes. However, the TNT Sports project’s exact form is still a waiting game for viewers and insiders alike.
<< photo by Sparsh Karki >>
