Premier League games are set to be shown on a new TV channel from next season after BT Sport was bought by American company Warner Bros Discovery.
BT Sport has shown live coverage of the Premier League since 2013, but the company was flogged to Warner Bros Discovery last September. Warner Bros Discovery also own Eurosport and are expected to merge their two sports channels together later this year.
The Americans have established a new holding company - called Warner Bros Discovery Sport - and are set to consign the BT Sport brand to the annals of history. BT Sport's Premier League deal does not expire until 2025, when a huge bidding war will commence.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Warner Bros Discovery will announce details of BT Sport's successor in the near future. They are expected to reduce the number of channels the company current runs, with BT Sport boasting five and Eurosport two.
Most live televised Premier League games in the UK are broadcasted by Sky Sports, who have been at the front of the division's coverage since its formation in 1992. Yet some of the fixtures are shown by BT Sport and Amazon Prime Video.
BT Sport first started showing Premier League football a decade ago in a major shake-up of the competition's TV rights. Sky Sports previously shared the live footage with American giants ESPN, who were surprisingly outbid by BT Sport in 2012.
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Since becoming one of the Premier League's broadcasters, BT Sport have won the rights to show live action from the Champions League, Serie A, Ligue 1 and other competitions. They've also branched into other sports - including boxing, WWE, rugby union and cricket.
The emergence of BT Sport has forced fans to shell out subscriptions for them and Sky Sports. It is unclear how much fans will need to pay for the new channels, with BT Sport's monthly pass priced at £29.99. NOW, which shows Sky Sports, costs £34.99 per month.
Warner Bros Discovery completed a £650million deal to acquire BT Sport in September. BT Sport staff will leave their headquarters in Stratford and move to one of Warner Bros Discovery's offices in and around London. There are branches in Chiswick and Holborn.
It is believed around 200 BT Sport staff have been told they will need to re-apply for their jobs, with 50 facing redundancy. BT Sport's pundits are expected to keep their jobs because they are tied to their Premier League contract, which ends in 2025.
Warner Bros Discovery face a battle to keep hold of their Premier League coverage. Apple TV and DAZN are both expected to make bids to win Premier League rights, while Sky Sports will be determined to stay involved in a competition they helped to launch.
The bidding war could have a big impact on fans. If broadcasters are forced to pay more for Premier League action, their prices will probably rise. Warner Bros Discovery will continue to show the Champions League until 2027, although those rights will be shared with Amazon Prime Video and BBC - who will broadcast highlights - from 2024 onwards.
