Eir lose BT Sport from next summer

Tigerandahalf · 31-10-2018 9:01am #1

Not good news for eir broadband subscribers.
To watch the H Cup from season 2019/20 you will need to subscribe to Sky.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/sky-agrees-deal-to-make-bt-sport-available-to-its-irish-subscribers-1.3681041

"Sky will become BT's exclusive distribution partner in Ireland."

OldRio · 31-10-2018 9:08am

Now that is a bollox.

micks_address · 31-10-2018 9:09am

OldRio wrote: »

Now that is a bollox.

So eir will no longer be able to offer bt sport free through the sky platform if you are a broadband customer?

techdiver · 31-10-2018 9:13am

It just gets worse for consumers! I'll bet even for people like me that pay for the eir sports pack it'll cost significantly more to watch rugby now with pro 14 on eir and h Cup on bt!

troyzer · 31-10-2018 9:13am

I'm already a Sky customer, I presume I'm alright then.

Uriel. · 31-10-2018 9:14am

troyzer wrote: »

I'm already a Sky customer, I presume I'm alright then.

You're alright if you pay a BT subscription, if not you'll need to be paying for BT on top of your sky subscription I imagine

Tell me how · 31-10-2018 9:15am

troyzer wrote:

I'm already a Sky customer, I presume I'm alright then.

You'll need to be subscribing to BT on Sky I'd say.

Just being a Sky or Sky Sports customer won't be enough I expect.

Uriel. · 31-10-2018 9:16am

Uriel. wrote: »

You're alright if you pay a BT subscription, if not you'll need to be paying for BT on top of your sky subscription I imagine

Actually it seems not - apologies. Would like to see the T&Cs though. Assume you'll have to have sky sports package...

Rafloution · 31-10-2018 9:17am

I'm thinking sky will be on IPTV by then and hopefully you can pick the BT sport separate same as eir now

troyzer · 31-10-2018 9:17am

Uriel. wrote: »

You're alright if you pay a BT subscription, if not you'll need to be paying for BT on top of your sky subscription I imagine

Tell me how wrote: »

You'll need to be subscribing to BT on Sky I'd say.

Just being a Sky or Sky Sports customer won't be enough I expect.

Tits, that's a fair point. I get it on the Eir package.

It's impressive how much of a basket case sports coverage is at the moment.

Mookie Blaylock · 31-10-2018 9:19am

No mention of the Pro 14 moving, that's staying on eir it seems.... getting a bit difficult to watch rugby moving forward.
Eir for Pro 14
Sky for internationals
BT for Heino cup

Going to be very costly

troyzer · 31-10-2018 9:23am

Mookie Blaylock wrote: »

No mention of the Pro 14 moving, that's staying on eir it seems.... getting a bit difficult to watch rugby moving forward.
Eir for Pro 14
Sky for internationals
BT for Heino cup

Going to be very costly

Is Virgin not launching a subscription channel for its stuff going forward?

Tell me how · 31-10-2018 9:24am

Mookie Blaylock wrote:

Going to be very costly

Particularly when so much key footage appears on Twitter virtually in real time.

Watching sport has changed so so much over last 5 years.

Buer · 31-10-2018 9:24am

Ah well, my contract with Eir ends next summer and my introdcutory price will go significantly up so I guess it will be time to shop around anyway.

Tigerandahalf · 31-10-2018 9:24am

I get the feeling that BT could be included in the Sky Sports package element.

So subscribe to sky sports and you get all soccer and all English rugby and H Cup (uk subscribers)

For Irish subscribers you would still need to add eir sports.

The big winner is someone with eir broadband and an existing sky sports subscriber.

This leaves Virgin in a bad place.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 31-10-2018 9:30am

BT seems to cost £34.49 a month thro SKY in Britain at the moment. First 3 months at cheaper rate when you sign up. Don't know if I'm reading all that correctly.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/get-bt-sport-on-sky

With Eleven Sports, BT, Wednesday Champions League games on Virgin Media only and the likes of Amazon getting in on sports too, it's all getting a bit ridiculous.

Very hard blame people looking into streaming options.

Former Former · 31-10-2018 9:30am

In fairness, there has been no confirmation that BT will be gone from Eir Sports.

“Exclusive distribution partner” could mean any number of things. It might mean that Sky will carry catch-up/on demand content which is not available in Ireland at the moment.

There's no way it's going to be included in the cost of your Sky subscription.

irishbucsfan · 31-10-2018 9:46am

Ireland is a real weird market for BT. They don’t really stand to gain here nearly as much as they do at home. So these decisions are much easier for them and don’t matter nearly as much, whichever distributor makes the better financial offer will get the channels. I wouldn’t be too confident it’ll be with Sky for long.

Interestingly I guess BTs sports channels are now going to be used by Sky to do in Ireland exactly what they were created to do in the UK for BT.

Tigerandahalf · 31-10-2018 9:46am

Eir's BT contract was up next August so the timeline could be right.

In Britain BT and Sky did a deal so that you only have to subscribe to one package going forward, so yes it is likely that BT sports will be included in the price you pay to sky.

What this means for the price to subscribe to Sky - you could be looking at €100 p/m for Sky tv with sports in hd. Add your broadband in then.

jack presley · 31-10-2018 9:58am

Will it be available via the Now.Tv option as well?

31-10-2018 9:58am

Former Former wrote: »

In fairness, there has been no confirmation that BT will be gone from Eir Sports.

“Exclusive distribution partner” could mean any number of things. It might mean that Sky will carry catch-up/on demand content which is not available in Ireland at the moment.

There's no way it's going to be included in the cost of your Sky subscription.

Can't see how it would mean anything else tbh. Awful news if you are rugby fan, plus there a few glum faces around Eir this morning too I'd say. I have Eir BB and have an old Sky box & card to view the Eir/BT package as a result. It's nice having those channels (and in HD too) to watch the Premier League football. Won't be the case from August it seems.

Trimm Trabb · 31-10-2018 10:04am

Only good thing is it means I won’t feel compelled to stick with Eir for mobile phone and broadband.

Free BT was really good though, could be v costly.

bennyl10 · 31-10-2018 10:11am

Eir have the world cup as well..

absolute balls this is

Will sky put BT through their own pack or extra?

31-10-2018 10:12am

The Eir situation was an odd one. Anyone unwilling to use EIR or happy with their current provider were basically excluded, it's an odd gating system that I'd say cost them heaps of subscribers.

This looks like it means that getting sky action? or whichever specific channel has the rugby might be an option moving forward if it comes with cheap access to BT sport.

Seems like every year brings yet another new mess getting access to Rugby. I'm happy to pay but streaming has just been the least hassle option for a few years now and the rights holders are doing nothing to make it easier.

Tigerandahalf · 31-10-2018 10:15am

Trimm Trabb wrote: »

Only good thing is it means I won’t feel compelled to stick with Eir for mobile phone and broadband.

Free BT was really good though, could be v costly.

It was very handy. You had the Champions League too.

Eir are in a pickle now as they only have the pro14.
Virgin have the Champions League plus a few H Cup games, so many people might be happy to stay with them.

I am out of contract with eir next month and was going to renew for a year. I probably will still do so because of the pro14 and I'd also get unlimited broadband.

Even if sky offered a sweet broadband/tv/sports deal you would still need to add on eir sports which is expensive enough.

thomond2006 · 31-10-2018 10:15am

I await digifriendly's post.

Former Former · 31-10-2018 10:18am

Deleted User wrote: »

The Eir situation was an odd one. Anyone unwilling to use EIR or happy with their current provider were basically excluded, it's an odd gating system that I'd say cost them heaps of subscribers.

This looks like it means that getting sky action? or whichever specific channel has the rugby might be an option moving forward if it comes with cheap access to BT sport.

Seems like every year brings yet another new mess getting access to Rugby. I'm happy to pay but streaming has just been the least hassle option for a few years now and the rights holders are doing nothing to make it easier.

You cannot subscribe to specific Sky Sports channels in Ireland, only in the UK. You either take the lot or you take none.

I don't think BT are going to be giving this away cheaply. It's 35 pounds per month for Sky subscribers in the UK, on top of your Sky sub.

helimachoptor · 31-10-2018 10:22am

There'll no doubt be a package deal of sorts, but i wouldnt be expecting significant discounts tbh, both BT and Sky still need to pay for premier league, BT need to pay for champions league.

bennyl10 · 31-10-2018 10:23am

helimachoptor wrote: »

There'll no doubt be a package deal of sorts, but i wouldnt be expecting significant discounts tbh, both BT and Sky still need to pay for premier league, BT need to pay for champions league.

Ya i imagine they'll throw BT in to the sky sports pack, wouldn't be in either of their interests to split it up on sky

TCM · 31-10-2018 10:26am

With the continual fragmentation of sports screening it'll become prohibitively expensive to watch sport on TV. I like to watch football, rugby & golf, but it also now seems that sky are going to lose out on PGA tour coverage. It's getting ridiculous. The dodgy box is the only answer.

Brock Turnpike · 31-10-2018 10:29am

"Sky will become BT's exclusive distribution partner in Ireland."

This statement makes it sound like BT will only be available through Sky over here. If that's the case, it's extremely disappointing.

bennyl10 · 31-10-2018 10:32am

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

"Sky will become BT's exclusive distribution partner in Ireland."

This statement makes it sound like BT will only be available through Sky over here. If that's the case, it's extremely disappointing.

ya they'll either lump it in witht he sky sports pack

or we'll have the eir situation just with sky

31-10-2018 10:37am

The bog standard charge for BT in SD via the Sky platform in the UK is £27.99pm. In HD it is £34.49pm.

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/sport/sky/

However the wholesale BT/Sky arrangement is only starting early next year. It will be interesting to see will the prices go down or not. No doubt this will be a guide for the RoI when the similar arrangement kicks in next Summer.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/get-bt-sport-on-sky

sweetie · 31-10-2018 10:38am

I just signed up for another 12 months with Eir yesterday!

davo2001 · 31-10-2018 10:40am

So, from next year it will cost me:

€30 per month for BT sports
€27.50 per month for Eir Sports (I'm not an eir broadband customer)
€40 per month for Sky sports
€30 for standard sky subscription (needed for sky sports)

Total: €127.50 per month.

Thank christ i have a decent IPTV subscription and get all these channels for a tenner a month. You'd want to be mad to pay that much.

citytillidie · 31-10-2018 10:43am

Sky and BT in the UK are joining forces from early 2019, where you can get full Sky Sports on BT box (via Full Now TV App, the app currently only allows Movies on the BT Box and not all movies are available) not just Sky Sports Main event with BT selling Now TV. You will be able to pay Sky directly for BT Sports instead of having two bills your sky bill and a BT bill, all they are doing is making it easier to pay more.

bennyl10 · 31-10-2018 10:45am

davo2001 wrote: »

So, from next year it will cost me:

€30 per month for BT sports
€27.50 per month for Eir Sports (I'm not an eir broadband customer)
€40 per month for Sky sports
€30 for standard sky subscription (needed for sky sports)

Total: €127.50 per month.

Thank christ i have a decent IPTV subscription and get all these channels for a tenner a month. You'd want to be mad to pay that much.

Sky will surely just lump bt in with it here?
bring sky sports up to 50 and they'll sell both

Squidgy Black · 31-10-2018 10:47am

bennyl10 wrote: »

Sky will surely just lump bt in with it here?
bring sky sports up to 50 and they'll sell both

Doubt it, BT will want the full revenue for it and Sky aren't going to take a hit on the costs of their sports channels.

Tigerandahalf · 31-10-2018 10:49am

The wholesale agreement in the uk means that you can get all channels on bt or sky but just subscribe to either.

We don't know yet if they will keep their sports packages separate or try to put them together. You would think they would give a sweetener to sign upto all.

I think Sky and BT are feeling the pinch and hoping this agreement will entice subscribers to take out both.

I believe Disney (same gang as Eurosport) are in the running to put the golf on a streaming service - I presume one of the tours.

I wasn't tempted by iptv upto this but gosh they are pushing people towards it.

CONSI · 31-10-2018 10:50am

It really is getting far too hard to watch sport....Sky sports is gone to the dogs...3 channels most nights have the same thing on...Main event, premier league, football all often have the same thing on...I cant get Sky or Virgin where I am so get it through Vodafone TV but also have a NOW TV box for some of the sky channels...all too complicated

techdiver · 31-10-2018 10:54am

They are definetly the masters of their own destruction. People will only be willing to pay so much before "obtaining" the viewing ability elsewhere.

It's actually funny that a monopoly was better for the consumer when Sky was the only pay TV sports broadcaster in the market. The addition of all these new players has ruined it for everyone.

Sky has been steadily losing sports rights, but not adjusting their subscription cost and justify it by adding crap no one wants to watch.

I'd much prefer a sports pass type of subscription. Some of us don't care about soccer, but in order to watch rugby the majority of your subscription cost goes to funding soccer rights.

I would love to be able to by a Rugby and Golf pass and **** the rest.

Squidgy Black · 31-10-2018 10:54am

If you've a stable internet connection with decent speeds, you'd be mad not to have an IPTV service. When I worked for one of the mentioned ISPs I had the full package which was grand, but after I left the bill came to like 180 a month. Cancelled the lot and got an IPTV service for a tenner a month, full HD picture and no issues with buffering etc.

We sorely need something like RugbyPass to launch in Ireland, or even a more affordable version of NowTV with the sports pass.

Trimm Trabb · 31-10-2018 10:55am

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I wasn't tempted by iptv upto this but gosh they are pushing people towards it.

What is iptv?

Is it legal?

Squidgy Black · 31-10-2018 10:58am

Trimm Trabb wrote: »

What is iptv?

Is it legal?

Internet version of the old dodgy boxes back in the day that used to piggyback off Sky viewing cards.

31-10-2018 11:05am

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Doubt it, BT will want the full revenue for it and Sky aren't going to take a hit on the costs of their sports channels.

Wouldn't be surprised. Standalone Eir BB is currently €53pm. No doubt quite a few rugby fans signed up knowing the BT channels were available for the European rugby at no extra cost, not forgetting the Premier League coverage as well. Eir will probably continue to offer their own Eir channels to Eir BB subscribers at no extra charge.

Former Former · 31-10-2018 11:16am

Trimm Trabb wrote: »

What is iptv?

Internet Protocol TV

Is it legal?

Nope

Squiggle · 31-10-2018 11:18am

davo2001 wrote: »

So, from next year it will cost me:

€30 per month for BT sports
€27.50 per month for Eir Sports (I'm not an eir broadband customer)
€40 per month for Sky sports
€30 for standard sky subscription (needed for sky sports)

Total: €127.50 per month.

Thank christ i have a decent IPTV subscription and get all these channels for a tenner a month. You'd want to be mad to pay that much.

Who do you subscribe to because this seems like a no brainer !

Riskymove · 31-10-2018 11:19am

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Doubt it, BT will want the full revenue for it and Sky aren't going to take a hit on the costs of their sports channels.

sure what is the point of this big announcement then (both previously in UK and now Ireland)

In the UK you pay for Sky Sports and then you can add on BT separately so you can watch via Sky Box

If there is no reduction in price in getting it all on one subscription under the new deal then basically nothing has changed so who cares

Likewise here - if the result really is that I will have to pay more than at present to have BT and Sky via Sky - why the fanfare? I would have thought they'd be more low key

Mc Love · 31-10-2018 11:21am

Simple solution: Cut the Cord.

davo2001 · 31-10-2018 11:39am

Squiggle wrote: »

Who do you subscribe to because this seems like a no brainer !

Dropped you a PM.

Squidgy Black · 31-10-2018 11:42am

Riskymove wrote: »

sure what is the point of this big announcement then (both previously in UK and now Ireland)

In the UK you pay for Sky Sports and then you can add on BT separately so you can watch via Sky Box

If there is no reduction in price in getting it all on one subscription under the new deal then basically nothing has changed so who cares

Likewise here - if the result really is that I will have to pay more than at present to have BT and Sky via Sky - why the fanfare? I would have thought they'd be more low key

The announcement is more that you won't be able to get it anywhere else now. Not that you'll get it all as the one package. Just that it's exclusive to sky now.

Eir lose BT Sport from next summer

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