BSkyB has secured the rights to five of the seven packages of live audiovisual rights for the Premier League in the UK during the seasons 2013/14 to 2015/16.
At the same time, BT has won the rights to the two remaining packages, with the overall value of the packages being £3.018 billion (€3.749 billion).
Sky’s five packages (B,C,D, E and F), for which it will pay £760 million per annum, will consist of a total of 116 live matches per season and, according the company, apply across all platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, online and mobile.
Sky customers will therefore continue to be offered live Premier League coverage through SkyGo on PCs, laptops, tablets and games consoles.
Coverage will also be made available on Sky’s new internet TV service NOW TV, which will make its debut later this year.
BT, on the other hand, will offer 38 live games per season, including the opening game of each season, and include 18 first picks.
It will launch a new football-focus channel to carry the games and offer new interactive features when supplied over BT’s fibre network and look to distribute it on other platforms.
Its rights will cost £246 million per season, with a deposit of £22 million payable this month, followed by six instalments of around £120 million starting in August 2013 and continuing in the months of January and August until January 2016.
The award of the rights by the Premier League is a major blow to ESPN, which has effectively lost out to BT in the bidding process.
