BT signs more live match deals from four different countries

BT has signed the rights to show live top tier football matches from Italy, France, Brazil and the US, as it strengthens its new channel BT Sport.

The live matches are from Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, Brasileiro in Brazil and the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA. The footage was previously shown on ESPN.

BT has bought the live games to bolster its new sports channel, which will be founded upon 38 live games a season from the Barclays Premier League, 18 of which will be the best quality ‘first pick’ games featuring the top six teams.

When BT won the rights for three years from 2013, it was the first time anyone other than Sky had won rights to show any of the ‘first pick’ games in the history of the Barclays Premier League.

BT will launch BT Sport by the summer of 2013. It has already announced that Jake Humphrey will be the anchor of its Barclays Premier League football coverage. The presenter, best known for presenting some of the BBC’s European Championships football coverage from Poland and Ukraine and Formula 1 for the BBC, will join BT in January to help mould the new channel.

Marc Watson, CEO, TV said of the new football deals: “We believe this extra depth of live matches will help us in our aim to develop an absolutely cracking sports channel, with fantastic live action, across the top football leagues, plus rugby union and other sports to come.”