BT signs up two million BT Sport customers

BT CEO Gavin Patterson

BT CEO Gavin Patterson said that BT Sport had made a “confident start” with more than two million BT customers now signed up for the August-launched suite of sports channels.

Announcing the UK telco and pay-TV provider’s fiscal second quarter earnings, Patterson said that BT’s wholesale agreement with Virgin Media meant that BT Sport is now available in around four million homes in total.

He added that the sports line-up was “delivering for the business, helping us achieve a record 93% share of broadband net adds in the quarter, our lowest line losses for five years and 4% revenue growth in our BT Retail Consumer business.”

BT said that consumer revenue increased by 4% for the three months ending September 30 compared to the previous quarter, driven by 17% growth in broadband and TV revenue following the launch of BT Sport in August.

However, adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation came in at £1.43 billion (€1.68 billion), down 4% year-on-year, due to the impact of BT’s investment in its sports output, listed in the quarterly earnings as around £140 million.

Total revenue was flat year-on-year at £4.49 billion. Adjusted pre-tax profits were up 2% to £609 million.