BT is in advanced talks to sell its 50% stake in TNT Sports to its joint venture partner Warner Bros Discovery.
The Financial Times first reported the story, citing two people familiar with the matter.
An agreement could be announced as early as this week, timed to coincide with BT’s full year results, though one source suggested that timing could slip.
The agreement would end a decade of BT’s involvement in sports broadcasting when the then BT Sport was launched to support fledgling IPTV network BT TV. The channel secured coverage of Premier League football and Premiership Rugby.
BT’s interest in the channel had already begun to wane – helped by a £187.5mn pre-tax loss in the 2024 financial year – when it brought in Discovery as a partner in the venture. BT Sport soon became TNT Sports and earlier this year consumed the UK version of Eurosport, also owned by Warner Bros Discovery.
When new BT chief executive Allison Kirkby joined the company in February 2024 she chose to focus on more traditional areas such as mobile and broadband.
Warner Bros Discovery has an option to buy out BT before the end of next year.
