BT Vision Hires Sky Sports Marketing Boss
BT Vision has hired Paul Ridsdale, formerly head of marketing for Sky Sports, as senior marketing manager, sports advertising and sponsorship.
Ridsdale will be responsible for marketing activities across all BT Vision’s sport programming. He will report to James Soames, BT Vision’s head of customer acquisition.
BT Vision will launch its new sports service this summer. Following the recently-announced deal with Setanta, BT Vision Sport customers will have access to the Setanta Sport channel, its 46 live Premiership games and 60 live Scottish Premier League games.
They will also have access to the 242 ‘near-live’ on-demand Premiership games secured by BT earlier in 2006. In all, three quarters of all Premiership games will be available in full to BT Vision Sport customers.
Ridsdale said: “I am very excited to be joining BT Vision at this stage. On-demand viewing in particular is a totally new concept for sport and I’m looking forward to devising strategies to bring this interactive and convenient form of viewing to sports fans across the UK.
“BT Vision’s imaginative deals with the FA Premier League and Setanta so far have demonstrated its credibility and passion, as well as its belief in on-demand as a great new medium for viewing sport.”
BT launched its next-generation television service, BT Vision, in December 2006 (see Long Time Coming – BT’s Vision).
BT: 0207 469 2337 www.btplc.com