BT Sport to deliver free, in-venue digital training to pubs nationwide
BT Sport has unveiled a new BT Sport Sprint Team to follow on from its 11 BT Sport Google Digital Garage Workshops run throughout the 2018/19 season after a successful trial featuring more than 1,000 publicans.
Available to both new and existing pubs and clubs customers, the BT Sport Sprint Team service will see support staff visit venues to provide bespoke digital marketing advice in person alongside merchandising support, including the installation of point of sale material.
BT Sport will continue to run Google Digital Garage sessions alongside the new service.
In addition, the broadcaster also reaffirmed its commitment to capping subscription costs for operators at RPI, meaning increases will be no higher than RPI for the forthcoming season, as reported by The Morning Advertiser in June 2018.
This comes as BT Sport prepares to broadcast 52 Premier League games from the 2019/20 season – 10 more than shown during the previous season – predominantly featuring Saturday lunchtime fixtures.
Growing digital knowledge
Discussing the broadcaster’s plans to roll out its Sprint Team service, Bruce Cuthbert, director commercial premises at BT explained: “Our ambition is to help our customers grow their business and thrive in their communities, whether this is making the most of BT Sport, Mother’s Day or a curry night.
“This year we have invested in providing our customers' opportunities to grow their digital knowledge, sent out more point of sale than ever before, helped to connect women’s and men’s grass root football teams with their local, and are sending out more than 15,000 football kits to teams that have partnered with their local.
“This season we are taking what we have learnt and offering our fantastic new BT Sport Sprint service to all of our customers.
“We will come to your venue and spend time helping you get more customers through the door.”
The reveal of the new service coincided with the finals of the 2019 Pub Cup at St James’ Park, Newcastle, which saw CJ’s Restaurant & Bar from Nuneaton winning the third instalment of the men’s competition with a thrilling 4-3 win over Scotland’s first ever finalists, The Inn at Elderslie from Johnstone in Renfrewshire, while Shifnal Sports Lounge from Shropshire beat the Golden Hind of Kingstanding in Birmingham 5-4 in the final of the inaugural women’s tournament.
The news follows the announcement on 4 June that the Football Association and BT had agreed a £50m sponsorship deal encompassing all 28 England squads and will see all development, futsal and disability team training kit feature the company's new logo.
