Subscribers to BT's video-on-demand service will be able to see a range of live and near-live Premier League games this season.
Subscribers to BT's video-on-demand service will be able to see a range of live and near-live Premier League games this season.
BT Vision will offer highlights packages and full coverage for Premier-league fixtures to be screened at 10pm on the same day as games are played, which customers can access by paying a monthly subscription of £4 or a one-off, per-match charge of £1.99.
Alternatively, football fans can pay £12 per month and access Setanta Sports' live games, of which there will be 46 Barclays Premier League fixtures and 60 Scottish Premier League matches.
Though the deal to show the matches was announced late last year when BT launched the BT Vision service, the official details have only just been finalised.
Ian Livingston, BT Retail's chief executive said: "This is a great day for sports fans. They can now follow their team for less than a pound a week. Why pay sky-high prices now that there’s an alternative?"
BT claims that its customers will have access to more matches this season than customers of any other service. It will also show 125 Coca-Cola League and Carling Cup games.
"We’re a sports-loving nation and ordinary fans shouldn’t be priced out of the action. Millions of fans have resisted subscription services and we feel there’s a substantial gap in the market," said Dan Marks, BT Vision's chief executive.
Ovum analyst Mike Cansfield suggested that the low price of the deal could tempt potential subscribers.
"Competition in this segment is fierce but BT's offer in comparison with Sky's £34 per month offer looks very competitive," he said.
Cansfield also stated that near-live coverage and on-demand nature of the offer could change people's viewing habits.
"It is about moving to an environment where customers decide what to watch and when. Sport is best consumed live, but the on-demand and near-live element may well change the way we consume sports and other entertainment," Cansfield said.
Coverage will be hosted by former Gazzetta Football Italia presenter James Richardson.
BT Vision is a video-on-demand service available to BT Total Broadband subscribers. Customers receive a set-top box which connects to the internet and allows access to on-demand content.
Some content is free and other programming can be paid for by monthly subscription or on a one-off basis.
www.bt.com/btvision
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