CONTENT INNOVATOR BT SPORT FOR SALE Hailing itself as ‘The Heart Of Sport‘, BT Sport emerged in 2013, immediately establishing a presence as an aggressive broadcast innovator. While most sports broadcasters stuck to tape-based workflows and linear thinking, BT Sport chief engineer, Andy Beale, embraced a digital mindset, was considering all options, including a full sale, a joint venture partnership or the selling of a partial stake. BT Sport covers the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League,
Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the English FA Cup, plus Premiership rugby union. The rights are hugely expensive – and despite global popularity, margins are thin. In May, Premier League broadcasters, including BT Sport, rolled over their TV deal until 2025. While uncertainty may remain over the long-term future of rights, the question of who could acquire BT Sport’s valuable content production and tech innovation assets is just as important.
trialling new tech to enhance the sports experience, including 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos. BT Sport’s arrival began a ‘quality Cold War ’ with rival pioneer network, Sky. In April, parent company BT announced it was seeking to sell a stake in the pay-TV sports platform. Conversations were reportedly held with Amazon, ITV and DAZN, while The Guardian said BT
BT SPORT EMBRACED A DIGITAL MINDSET – NEW TECH ENHANCED EXPERIENCE
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