BT Sport offers pubs and clubs over 220 UEFA Champions league and UEFA Europa League matches exclusively live

BT Sport Europe launched as the new home of top European football

Average independent pub would now pay £394 a month¹

for BT Sport Total pack

Gary Lineker, Jake Humphrey and Rio Ferdinand to present

BT Sport has unveiled a great value deal for pubs, clubs and commercial premises to show up to 223 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches exclusively live on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, to entice customers into licenced premises midweek.

Research shows that for commercial premises screening sport, matches involving Premier League football clubs are amongst the most important for increasing trade². BT Sport will more than double the number of these games it shows next season, increasing from around 55 to 113³.

The company has announced the launch of a new BT Sport Total Pack which will include a channel line-up of BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, ESPN on BT Sport and BT Sport Europe, the new home of top European football from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League from August 1.

The average independent pub will pay £394 a month¹ for the new BT Sport Total Pack, which represents a 60 per cent saving versus the Sky Sports standard price⁴.Existing Independent customers will also benefit from a loyalty discount of up to 15 per cent to bring the price down further⁵.

BT will also cut the price for customers who only want to show exclusively live Barclays Premier League football, the SPFL and Aviva Premiership Rugby on BT Sport 1. Customers will see a price reduction of seven per cent⁶ to reflect the change in content.

Bruce Cuthbert, director commercial customers at BT Sport, said: “Next season will mark a big change for commercial customers who want to maximise their takings by showing the really big UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League clashes midweek, especially as none of those games will be on ITV or Sky Sports.”

“We will now offer more than double the number of games involving Premier League clubs. Up to 223 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches means 49 more mid-week match nights⁷ on BT Sport for commercial premises. At an average cost of £30 or less⁸ per match night for our customers this represents fantastic value for money.At the same time Sky Sports’ standard prices haven’t changed as they continue to charge customers the same price for a package that has lost 129 UEFA Champions League games⁹.”

“We have been successful in broadening the numbers of commercial premises that show premium sports, we have grown the pubs market by 26 per cent¹⁰, and we want to show that top flight football need not come at a top price.”

Gary Lineker, Jake Humphrey and Rio Ferdinand will front the live UEFA Champions League coverage. They will join the BT Sport team which includes Paul Scholes, Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves as well as new signings; Steven Gerrard, Harry Redknapp, Glenn Hoddle and Howard Webb.

From July 1 customers signing up to BT Sport Total will be eligible for an exclusive free service from Screach: Screach Lite. This offers a dynamic entertainment and communication platform that turns pubs’ existing TVs into a sales and marketing tool to help drive footfall and sales using BT Sport content and customisable venue promotion tools. In addition to the free subscription, the first 1,000 BT Sport Total customers signing up to the package will also receive free equipment and installation delivering a combined saving to pubs of £755 in the first year alone.

BT Sport is also launching an online resource called The Manager’s Office. This aims to help commercial premises to maximise profits from live sport and will be home to the latest live fixture information for BT Sport and all Free to Air channels, covering all sports. Each fixture and event will be supported with assets for social media, digital screens and posters. Landlords will also enjoy access to news and industry chat via the new @BTSportBars Twitter account, plus a whole host of giveaways for competitions.

BT Sport will also re-launch the BT Sport Bar Finder on btsport.com to help to direct customers to their nearest establishment showing BT Sport. The tool will now include photos of the pub and additional information, including whether it serves food and has wi-fi.

Notes to editors

¹ Based on CGA Strategy data we have determined that 51% of independent pubs have an RV of £21k per year or less. This means an average independent pub would pay £394 a month at Ratecard. Installation and hardware costs apply (Currently £199 one off fee).

² Based on research conducted by Evalueserve/Amethist May 2015. 85% of pubs with Sports TV consider Football rather than other sports a main reason for subscribing to Sports TV [300 pubs with Sports unweighted]. Moreover when a Premier League side is playing 99% of pubs rate the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup as best for trade [300 pubs with Sports TV unweighted].

³ Based on analysis of the average number of games per season across the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup featuring Premier League sides over the last 3 years versus the average number of games BT Sport has shown across the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup featuring Premier League sides over the last 2 years.

⁴ Sky price derived from the Sky Ratecard values publically published in 2013 plus a publically stated 5% price rise in 2014 and a 0% price rise in 2015. Average rateable value based on CGA Strategy data which indicates that 51% of independent pubs have an RV of £21k per year or less

⁵ Independent customers that have joined BT Sport by 30^th June 2015 will be eligible for a loyalty discount off their subscription price from 1^st September 2015 until 31^st August 2016. Customers who joined BT Sport in our first year (prior to 30^th June 2014) will receive 15% off and customers who joined us in our second year (from 1^st July 2014 up until 30^th June 2015) will receive 12% off. The offer end date for this offer is 7^th August 2015.

⁶ Customers who only take BT Sport 1 will receive a 7% reduction in price versus the price of the BT Sport Pack in market during the 14/15 season.

⁷ Based on the number of midweek UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League match days available throughout the season.

⁸ Based on the average price an independent BT Sport pub customer with a year 1 loyalty discount would pay divided by the number of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League midweek match days available throughout the season.

⁹Based on the number of UEFA Champions League games per season Sky Sports have the rights to televise under their current rights deal which is due to expire

¹⁰ Based on quantitative research by telephone with 1835 pubs conducted by Evalueserve/Amethist in October 2014.