The company has revealed that pubs signing up to its ‘12 months for the price of nine’ launch offer will pay on average £138.08 per month (including payment holidays in August 2013, and June and July 2014). It cites price comparison research that shows average Sky prices are £643 per month — nearly five times more.
BT Sport will show 38 Barclays Premier League games (including 18 ‘top picks’) in the 2013/14 football season, Budweiser FA Cup games, UEFA Europa League ties and Scottish Premier League matches, as well as 69 Aviva Premiership rugby union fixtures and women’s tennis.
Sky Sports’ will show 116 Premier League games (including 20 ‘top picks’), 75 nPower Football League matches, 15 Capital One Cup games and 129 UEFA Champions League ties, as well as a wide range of other sports including rugby union and league, cricket, golf, tennis, darts and Formula 1.
BT Sport today announced it has also secured the TV rights to Moto GP motorcycle racing and women's football alongside the sports previously announced.
BT is also offering all licensed premises a free box and free standard installation if they do not have the set top box and satellite dish needed to receive the new service.
BT research of 917 pubs and clubs in October 2012, has shown that nearly half of all Britain’s pubs and clubs are showing free to air sport, nearly one and a half times more than those who have Sky. Eighty eight per cent of independent pubs who don’t have Sky say they would like to show Premier League football but Sky is just too expensive, research of 922 independent pubs and clubs in February 2013 showed.
Footballer Rio Ferdinand has signed a three-year deal with BT Sport to support the channel as an interviewer, programme-maker and football expert. The Manchester United centre-half will also act as a BT Ambassador. Spurs star and PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale and England winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have already been announced as fellow ambassadors.
Other presenters and commentators will include Tim Lovejoy, Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Steve McManaman, David James and Martina Navratilova.
BT's sports channels will be free for domestic BT Broadband customers.
Bruce Cuthbert, director of commercial customers, BT Sport, said: "BT Sport will be an open, fun, inclusive place and we think it will offer broad appeal, from the wide range of sports we are offering to the fantastic presenters we have signed up.
"From sports fanatics to those who simply want to see a bit more sport down their local, we believe BT Sport represents an affordable and exciting new service for pubs and clubs who don’t want to change their spots."