General : ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news

[telegramsam]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I expect it will be, for now. Let's see what happens in the next bidding round.

---------- Post added at 18:31 ---------- Previous post was at 18:29 ----------



You must have taken your eye off the ball!

Guess you're right there Old Boy!

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Warner Discovery is not a platform. My understanding it has at least three: HBO Max (not UK till at least 2025), Discovery + and Eurosport. The latter two are also sold as a single package.

I can envisage the Eurosport and BT Sport platforms converging with a discount for those taking Discovery + and EuroSport/BT Sport. EE is now BT's main consumer brand for the future so BT may not have a problem fading out the BT Sport brand, especially as the long-term head of BT Sport has now left.

Expect lots of offers to BT and EE customers to make it worth their while taking Discovery +.

In the long-term, I do think we could see a combined Warner Brothers Discovery streaming service to potentially rival Now TV in breadth of content. But I suspect sport would still be sold as an add-on and separately due to its cost. Commercial pressures - why turn away good money? - may encourage it to still wholesale some or all channels to Sky and VM.

Warner is not a platform here at present, I agree, but ultimately I think the scripted content and the sports will be added to Discovery + (which may be renamed).

Clearly, the sport will have to be an additional tier. I don’t see any alternative option, to be honest.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Warner is not a platform here at present, I agree, but ultimately I think the scripted content and the sports will be added to Discovery + (which may be renamed).

Clearly, the sport will have to be an additional tier. I don’t see any alternative option, to be honest.

I really hope BT gives an update on Thursday aboot a BT Sports and Eurosport merger.

Just to found confirm the new company name.

-I am working with a following (My own views):

BT Sports/Eurosport network will be called Discovery Sports.

Here is latest rumours I have:

https://www.theguardian.com/business...r-facing-brand

-That Guardian reports says that Warner Bros. Discovery is set to stop using a Eurosport UK brand.*

*Bit more info:

-In GB - Eurosport is set become BT Sports.
-In EU - Eurosport brand will stay as now.

Information from Guardian - no real updates since February.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Warner is not a platform here at present, I agree, but ultimately I think the scripted content and the sports will be added to Discovery + (which may be renamed).

Clearly, the sport will have to be an additional tier. I don’t see any alternative option, to be honest.

And to the average user it makes no discernible different from having a general entertainment app and paying extra for the BT Sport app. If we are experiencing the biggest fall in standards of living since the Second World War people will be more interested cost than administration.

[Aguero9320]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Warner is not a platform here at present, I agree, but ultimately I think the scripted content and the sports will be added to Discovery + (which may be renamed).

Clearly, the sport will have to be an additional tier. I don’t see any alternative option, to be honest.

That won’t happen! Prime Video, Peacock and Paramount+ include sports in their main package and are thriving. HBO Max/Discovery+ will probably do so here.

[ScottishSteve]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

.

-In GB - Eurosport is set become BT Sports.
-In EU - Eurosport brand will stay as now.

Information from Guardian - no real updates since February.

Why on earth would discovery ditch their own know and longer established brand (Eurosport) in favour of a licensed name they will have to pay royalties for.

The overall sporting business is Discovery Sports which is more likely if anything.

[TimeLord2018]

BT Eurosport is simplest name if BT want their brand In it or even just keep all the channels as they are but 50% owned by both or Discovery Sports.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by ScottishSteve

Why on earth would discovery ditch their own know and longer established brand (Eurosport) in favour of a licensed name they will have to pay royalties for.

The overall sporting business is Discovery Sports which is more likely if anything.

Originally Posted by TimeLord2018

BT Eurosport is simplest name if BT want their brand In it or even just keep all the channels as they are but 50% owned by both or Discovery Sports.

I did think of Discovery Sports until Media Guardian posted this on April 27th:

The BT brand will also continue to be used for BT Sport, the pay-TV service set to become part of a joint venture with Warner Bros Discovery

https://www.theguardian.com/business...r-facing-brand

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

-That Guardian reports says that Warner Bros. Discovery is set to stop using a Eurosport UK brand.*

*Bit more info:

-In GB - Eurosport is set become BT Sports.
-In EU - Eurosport brand will stay as now.

Information from Guardian - no real updates since February.

It doesn't say that anywhere in the article, it says

From today, we’re starting the preparations to make the EE brand our flagship brand for consumer customers focusing on convergence and future services.

The BT brand will also continue to be used for BT Sport, the pay-TV service set to become part of a joint venture with Warner Bros Discovery, and become the lead brand for its business-to-business and global operations.

BT will also remain as a co-brand on the company’s 550 high street stores and appear in ad campaigns.

https://www.theguardian.com/business...r-facing-brand

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

It doesn't say that anywhere in the article, it says

https://www.theguardian.com/business...r-facing-brand

Thank God only two more sleeps to go until BT PLC results comes out and we may get a update on BT Sports / Warner Bros. Discovery merge - Been no update in last three months since BT PLC last results.

[Itshim]

Originally Posted by Media Boy UK

Thank God only two more sleeps to go until BT PLC results comes out and we may get a update on BT Sports / Warner Bros. Discovery merge - Been no update in last three months since BT PLC last results.

Thank the lord for that I've had many sleepless nights worrying over this

[TimeLord2018]

BT Group and Warner Bros. Discovery Agree Premium Sports Joint Venture for the UK and Ireland

Both BT Sport and Eurosport UK will initially retain their separate brands and product propositions in the market before being brought together under a single brand in the future. BT Group (through its wholly owned subsidiary British Telecommunications plc (“BT plc”)) and Warner Bros. Discovery will enter into distribution agreements with the JV under which they will distribute the combined sports content to new and existing customers on their respective platforms and apps.

Call Option

As part of the Transaction, Warner Bros. Discovery will have the right, but not the obligation, to exercise a call option to acquire the entire shareholding of BT plc in the JV (the “Call Option”). The Call Option will be exercisable at specified points during the first four years of the JV and is subject to certain conditions and arrangements. The price payable for 50% of the JV under the Call Option will be at a price to be determined at the time the option is exercised, plus any remaining consideration and earn-out that BT plc will be entitled to at that time (subject to certain conditions).

If the Call Option is not exercised by Warner Bros. Discovery (as detailed above), BT plc will have the ability to exit its stake in the JV either through a sale or IPO.

https://wbd.com/bt-group-and-warner-...u-and-ireland/

[1andrew1]

From that WBD link

Those customers who access BT Sport through BT directly, and the majority of BT TV customers, are set to receive discovery+, the non-fiction entertainment streaming service which is home to Eurosport’s live and on-demand streaming offer in the UK & Ireland, as part of existing subscriptions.

https://wbd.com/bt-group-and-warner-...u-and-ireland/


Thought this £222m loss information was interesting too:

Information on BT Sport business

Based on unaudited management information, as at 31 March 2022, the value of the gross assets of BT Sport business to be contributed to the JV and the operating businesses of BT Sport was £339m and it had an operating loss for the year of £222m.

https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-and...uk-and-ireland

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

From that WBD link

https://wbd.com/bt-group-and-warner-...u-and-ireland/


Thought this £222m loss information was interesting too:

https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-and...uk-and-ireland

So, the way I read it is that the BT Sport channels will remain available for the time being, alongside the new streamer. That makes sense for the time being, but it is clear which way this is going ultimately.

As BT Sport subscribers on the BT platform will be able to access Discovery+, I wonder if BT will cease to make the TV channels available to those subscribers imminently? We will see soon enough.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

So, the way I read it is that the BT Sport channels will remain available for the time being, alongside the new streamer. That makes sense for the time being, but it is clear which way this is going ultimately.

As BT Sport subscribers on the BT platform will be able to access Discovery+, I wonder if BT will cease to make the TV channels available to those subscribers imminently? We will see soon enough.

By new streamer, do you mean Discovery+ ? Discovery are maintaining the linear Eurosport channels for the forseeable future so I'm sure they will do the same with the BT channels.

What I've not seen mentioned is what happens to AMC from BT. I suspect this may end.