Compare the packages
BT says its research indicates around 4m more people in the UK would like to sign up for Sky Sports channels, but felt that it was too expensive.
However, Sky has justified its price-hike as it will show 23 extra Premier League games now totalling 115, after its rival Setanta collapsed. It says the new Premier League contract is worth worth £1,623 million over three years, compared with £1,314 million for the previous deal.
Sky has also recently decided to make Sky Sports News a pay-to-view channel, removing it from Freeview but offering HD to compensate.
Mark Anderson, customer marketing director, at Sky said: "Our prices will be great value for an unbeatable line-up of top sports coverage and customers can save money when they switch to Sky for phone and broadband."
However, Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, said: "A more competitive market will ensure that customers continue to get the best sport for the sharpest prices and this opening of the market will be in the best interests of customers."
Here are a couple of BT tables, summarising its offering.
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 plus ESPN without line rental |
||
|
Sky |
BT |
Virgin Media |
|
|
Offer components |
Without line |
Without line |
Without line |
|
|
1 Entertainment Pack Freetime Calls TEWE BB Unlimited (20Mb/Unld) |
£17.99 bundle BB Option 2 (20Mb/40Gb) Weekend calls Vision+ box |
XL Broadband (20Mb/Unld) M Phone - UWP M+ TV |
|
Recordable Box |
Recordable Box |
Recordable Box |
|
|
Basic TV*** |
£18.00 |
£0.00 |
£5.50 |
|
Sky Sports 1 % Sky Sports 2 |
£18.00 |
£11.99 |
£20.50 |
|
ESPN |
£9.00 |
£0.00 |
£8.00 |
|
Broadband |
£7.50 |
£17.99 |
£20.00 |
|
Box Subscription Charge |
£0.00 |
£0.00 |
£5.00 |
|
Box Charge |
£0.00 |
£60.00 |
£49.00 |
|
Set Up Charge |
£0.00 |
£0.00 |
£0.00 |
|
Delivery Charge |
£0.00 |
£4.99 |
£0.00 |
|
Total Standard Monthly |
£52.50 |
£29.98 |
£59.00 |
|
Total Cost 12 Months |
£630.00 |
£424.75 |
£706.00 |
|
Saving 12 Months with BT |
£205.25 |
n/a |
£281.25 |
|
Total Cost 24 Months |
£1,260.00 |
£784.51 |
£1,414.00 |
|
Savings 24 Months with BT |
£475.49 |
n/a |
£629.49 |
***According to Sky.com, Sky Sports is available without a viewing pack, from £26pm. However, this cannot be ordered online and when speaking to an advisor online or over the phone, BT was informed Sky Sports is only available with a viewing pack and that the website information was wrong.
CAVEAT: Comparison based on costs of taking a broadband, calls and sports package. Excludes line rental. Content of packs differ, e.g. both Sky and Virgin include additional sports channels (i.e. Sky Sports 3, Sky Sports 4, ESPN America and, with Virgin Media only, ESPN HD); additional entertainment content (Sky Variety Pack or Virgin Media M+ TV pack); and unlimited broadband usage. Sky Talk includes evening calls to UK landlines. Based on packages available 30th June, 2010.
BT Total Sport packages
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bundle |
Vision box |
Sky Sports 1, ESPN , BT Vision Sport |
Total/mth |
+Sky Sports 2 |
Total/ mth |
|
Basic |
BTTB Option 2, Unlimited Weekend calls £17.99 |
£60 |
£6.99 |
£24.98 With l/r £36.52* |
11.99 |
£29.98 With l/r £41.52* |
|
Standard |
BTTB Option 2, Unlimited Weekend calls, Vision Bronze £32.99 |
£45 |
£6.99 |
£39.98 With l/r £51.52* |
11.99 |
£44.98 With l/r £56.52* |
|
Premium |
BTTB Option 3, Unlimited Anytime Calling Plan, Vision Gold £48.99 |
£45 |
£6.99 |
£55.98 With l/r £67.52* |
£11.99 |
£60.98 With l/r £72.52* |
*line rental at £11.54 with direct debit. All with 24-month contracts
