U.K. telecoms and broadband giant BT has retained exclusive rights to broadcast top European soccer matches in the country with a new £1.2 billion ($1.45 billion) deal.
This means that BT will own the rights of the games for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League soccer championships until the end of the 2020/21 season. For the first time, the deal includes exclusivity across all live games, highlights and in-match clips of both competitions.
“There are two games playing back-to-back so for the customer that gives him the opportunity for binge viewing,” John Petter, consumer CEO at BT, told CNBC. His comments refer to a new schedule whereby the broadcaster will screen Champions League “double header” nights – with matches kicking off at both 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. London time.
