BT and Sky square up in battle to win over Premier League football fans August 12, 2015 The new Premier League season has kicked off to the usual fanfare, but another battle is raging off the pitch, between rival broadcasters Sky and BT. Both companies have launched high profile advertising campaigns in order to win over new subscribers. Sky Sports has opted for a nostalgic look back at seasons gone by, integrating [...]
Freesat unveils 200 pc boost to Freetime customers August 6, 2015 Subscription-free satellite TV service Freesat boosted subscribers to its Freetime TV service by 200 per cent in the first half of this year, it said this morning The figures In results posted this morning the company said sales of its Freetime service grew 48 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of the year, with [...]
Windfall due next year but clubs can’t wait to spend their billions August 6, 2015 PREMIER League clubs are ramping up their spending this summer in anticipation of the television cash bonanza on the horizon next year, according to a new survey. The findings, from accountants BDO’s annual survey of financial directors at English football clubs, comes after it emerged this week that spending by top-flight sides in this transfer [...]
World Economic Forum Tech Pioneers: Transferwise and Mike Lynch’s Darktrace among four UK firms chosen August 5, 2015 Four UK companies have been named among the most pioneering tech companies in the world by the World Economic Forum (WEF), following in the footsteps of Google and Twitter. Billion-dollar FinTech startup Transferwise and Mike Lynch's cybersecurity startup Darktrace are two of the high-profile UK companies selected by a panel of judges identifying the startups [...]
Real Madrid and Barcelona head to BT as Sky pulls out of bidding for La Liga TV rights August 1, 2015 BT Sport has struck the latest blow in its battle with Sky Sports for football broadcasting supremacy, as it closes in on securing the rights to Spanish football. Read more: Sky’s costs soar as battle with BT Sport weighs Sky is believed to have pulled out of the bidding process for rights to La Liga fixtures [...]
Strong results push FTSE 100 to one-week high as energy shares rally – London Report July 31, 2015 THE FTSE 100 rose for a third straight day yesterday, with energy shares leading the way as oil prices gained and Royal Dutch Shell rallied after it announced jobs and spending cuts. InterContinental Hotels climbed 4.8 per cent after the Financial Times reported that it had held talks with rival Starwood Hotels on a deal. [...]
BT’s profits rise ahead of sports pay-TV launch July 31, 2015 BT Group yesterday posted a solid rise in first-quarter profits and said it is on track to meet full-year expectations, thanks to strong demand for its superfast fibre broadband and a flurry of customers signing up for its new pay-TV football coverage. The telecoms company pulled in 217,000 new super-fast fibre broadband customers and 60,000 [...]
BT shrugs off break-up talks to increase profit before tax by 16 per cent July 30, 2015 The likes of Sky may be after its head, but that hasn't prevented BT from posting a 16 per cent rise in pre-tax profit, despite a modest fall in revenue. BT's share price fell three per cent in mid morning trading following the announcement. The figures The telecoms giant reported a two per cent fall [...]
Broadcaster Sky grows audience and revenue after acquiring companies in Germany and Italy July 30, 2015 BT? What BT? Sky's customer demand hit record levels in 2015, despite the company's squabbles with its rival. The figures Sky’s group adjusted revenue increased five per cent to £11.3bn in the year to the end of June, compared to £10.8bn a year before. Profits before tax at the broadcaster increased six per cent to [...]
What’s the best TV deal for Premier League football? Packages 20 per cent cheaper per game for 2015/16 season due to Sky and BT competition July 28, 2015 With the 2015/16 campaign less than a fortnight away, Premier League football TV packages are available up to 38 per cent cheaper per game than last season as competition between Sky and BT drives prices down. Read more: Surprise, surprise – Sky increases fees following record Premier League deal Fans can purchase a sports package for [...]