The monopoly that BSkyB has had on live football televised rights over the past two decades has been great for the game in terms of money, if not for the football fan as it has meant that to watch the top action, you have to pay large subscription fees.
Setanta Sports tried to make a breakthrough but failed miserably and ultimately collapsed.
ESPN has made a model work but suffered a big blow in the summer, when they lost live televised rights to Premier League football.
That is because there is a new name on the market in BT Vision.
BT is preparing for its football breakthrough next summer and has already announced some ambitious plans.
Can it challenge the Sky dominance?
Securing big deals
In June, the telecommunications giant paid £738m for the rights to 38 live Premier League matches for the next three seasons.
This includes 18 first choice picks, ending BSkyB’s reign on having total control over picking the top fixtures in the Premier League, such as Manchester City (pictured celebrating their title) v Manchester United and Arsenal v Chelsea.
The deal is good for BT but it was very expensive and they do need to back it up with further moves in the market. To their credit, that is what they have managed to achieve.
They have scooped up Premiership rugby from ESPN and also taken the rights to live football from across the globe, meaning they have spent around £1billion in sporting fees.
BT have snapped up live rights to the MLS, the Brazilian Soccer League, Ligue 1 in France and Italy’s Serie A from next season.
380 live Serie A matches each season will be broadcasted, both in standard and high definition, along with review programmes, a weekly preview show and highlights from every single game.
It is the same deal for the French league, while 100 live matches will be screened from Brazil and 99 from the MLS in America.
The deals show their commitment ahead of launching in summer 2013 but they have to make it work or they face making big profit losses.
Jake is the man
To front the Premier League coverage next season, Jake Humphrey has quit the BBC to join an emerging channel.
The Norwich City supporter is a big fan of football and has indicated of his excitement at a new challenge.
Humphrey will leave behind the BBC after service of almost a decade, which began in children’s television and ended with him anchoring last Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. He had fronted Formula One for the corporation for the last four seasons.
He has always come across as knowledgeable, excited about challenges, easy-going and fun as a presenter.
The BBC have lost a crucial member of their team and snapping Humphrey up is a big scoop for BT Vision.
On Thursday, the Evening Standard revealed that football coverage of the Premier League will be broadcasted from the Olympic Park.
An agreement is expected to be signed off in the coming days by Mayor of London Boris Johnson and is expected to create 300 new jobs.
This does show BT’s approach to creating new local opportunities and offer a fresh modern approach to their coverage.
There is no announcement on how the channel will be accessible yet to TV viewers but it is expected to be available on a variety of platforms.
Sky should be worried
There is little doubt that Sky has done a lot for sport in this country and especially for football.
They are still the prime leaders in television coverage, with excellent punditry, snazzy graphics and in-depth knowledge of the game.
However this is the first time that a few of the big executives for Sky Sports should be worried.
BT Vision has already outlined some big plans, some of them slightly ambitious but they really want to compete in the sporting market.
It is too early to say whether it will be a changing of the times but Sky should sit up and take notice of the new threat in sports broadcasting.
While it is unlikely that BSkyB’s profits will suffer overall as a corporation, they might lose more in terms of audience viewers and subscription figures.
BT Vision is preparing for its football breakthrough next summer and Sky should appreciate the extra competition and work even harder to remain the best.
Unlike Setanta’s demise, BT Vision looks set to stay on the market after launch – not just in football but in sporting contexts and that can only be a good thing for the TV viewer.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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