BSkyB and BT set for price war over football

UK pay TV rivals BSkyB and BT seem set for a price war over their respective football offerings after failing to strike a mutual wholesale deal, according to press reports.

According to the Telegraph, the two companies have not been able to agree on wholesale terms and a price war between the pair now looks likely. The paper cited BT sources as saying that while the company had been willing to share its content with Sky, the latter had declined to reciprocate on acceptable terms. BSkyB counter-claimed that BT was unwilling to share its own content.

BT holds the rights to 38 English Premier League matches, while Sky holds the rights to 116 games. The telco has also secured rights to a number of international competitions as well as acquiring the former ESPN UK, which held FA Cup rights. BT’s matches will be available to Sky subscribers via satellite, but only for an additional fee.

BT last week complained to regulator Ofcom over Sky’s refusal to air advertising for its two sports channels, which are expected to launch in July. BT said that Sky was showing “undue discrimination” by refusing to air the ads.