BT share price jumps as it confirms it wants to buy O2 back from Telefonica November 24, 2014 Shares in BT had risen 3.6 per cent to 393.9p in mid-afternoon as it confirmed it is in talks with Telefonica to buy its O2 UK mobile business. In a statement to the stock exchange this morning, the company said all discussions are at a "highly preliminary stage", adding that it is "continuing" to develop [...]
Vodafone’s UK broadband plan to counter BT: “If they come harsh on mobile, we will come harsh” November 11, 2014 Vodafone is preparing to take BT head on next year, when it launches broadband and TV offerings in the UK to challenge the former state monopoly’s plan to encroach on its turf with a mobile service. Chief executive Vittorio Colao did not say how Vodafone would price its broadband or TV when it launches in [...]
BT scores key win in battle for Sky Sports November 5, 2014 Britain’s largest pay TV broadcaster BSkyB was left bruised yesterday after a UK court ruled that it must make its flagship sports channels available to its biggest rival, a measure it had resisted for four years. The interim ruling is the latest episode in a four-year legal saga stretching back to an era when Sky [...]
Goal for BT as BSkyB loses sports channel legal battle November 5, 2014 BSkyB will be forced to offer its sports channels to BT's YouView customers after it lost a legal battle with its new rival. The UK Competition Appeals Tribunal ruled today that rules which determine what price Sky must offer its channels at should also cover internet television services. Until now, the broadcaster has resisted providing [...]
BT share price opens lower, despite dividend lift October 30, 2014 Investors saw BT's decision to spend £2bn on securing exclusive rights to Premier League and Champions League games for its new sports channels as a gamble, but it looks as thought it might have paid off. This morning the company raised its dividend by 15 per cent to 3.9p as it reported Premier League audiences [...]
BSkyB sees off BT with profit and revenue rise in first quarter October 16, 2014 BSkyB has reported a good start to its financial year after ear-marking £5.3bn for Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia with a rise in revenue, profit and subscribers in the first quarter, slightly ahead of expectations. The British broadcaster increased revenue by six per cent to £1.9bn for the three months to September 30, with operating [...]
Hermes gets a head spin with a BT Tower soiree September 16, 2014 Owned by the BT pension fund, you’d think Hermes Investment Management would have free rein in the telecoms giant’s famous tower, but last night the firm had only its second event there ever. It’s inaugural autumn party gave employees (and The Capitalist) a chance to enjoy the views and celebrate Hermes’ recent rebrand. “I remember [...]
Scottish independence: BT, TalkTalk, EE, Telefonica, Vodafone and Three warn of increased costs if Scots vote Yes September 14, 2014 Six of Britain's leading telecoms companies are the latest to warn of potential price rises if Scotland votes Yes to independence. The chiefs of BT, TalkTalk, EE, Telefonica UK, Vodafone UK and Three UK have issued a joint letter warning that the uncertainty around regulation and spectrum allocation, which mobile networks use to operate, could [...]
The game that matters… BT Sport reaches for the Sky – Brand Index August 19, 2014 Following on from my column last week covering the home broadband market, I analyse another area in which BT has expanded in to – live broadcasts of Premier League matches. Clubs are making the most of the massive money they receive from TV in order to bolster their squads. The two main domestic football broadcasters, [...]
More pubs than ever are picking BT Sport over rival Sky Sports August 17, 2014 More pubs now subscribe to BT Sport than Sky Sports, according to the former state monopoly, as its £2bn investment in building a sports TV empire continues. In May, BT said more than 19,000 pubs, clubs and commercial properties had signed up for its sports service, putting BT neck-and-neck with Sky Sports, BT’s consumer division [...]