TNT Sports’ football coverage will be led by four female presenters this season as it seeks to “push the boundaries” of sports broadcasting.
TNT Sports is the new name for the channel formerly known as BT Sport, with Laura Woods confirmed as host of its Champions League coverage alongside Reshmin Chowdhury. Jake Humphrey, who fronted BT’s Champions League coverage last season, stepped back from his role in May.
Lynsey Hipgrave will continue to host live Premier League coverage on TNT Sports, having done so since the start of last season, while Jules Breach has replaced Des Kelly as the broadcaster’s pitchside reporter.
Ally McCoist joins the TNT punditry line-up for Premier League and Champions League matches, which will still feature the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole.
Rachel Brown-Finnis, Owen Hargreaves, Steve McManaman, Joleon Lescott, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Robbie Savage will work as pundits at the rebranded channel, while Darren Fletcher, Adam Summerton and Lucy Ward will be part of the commentary teams.
“We do want to be contemporary, we do want to be bold, we definitely want to push the boundaries of what sports broadcasting has been in this market over the previous years,” Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, said.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to reflect on what’s happened and it’s almost like, ‘Okay, we’ve got a moment in time to refresh and rethink’.”
The rebrand follows the completion of a deal in September last year to form a joint venture that combines the assets of BT Sport and Eurosport UK.
We do want to be contemporary, we do want to be bold, we definitely want to push the boundaries of what sports broadcasting has been in this market over the previous years— Andrew Georgiou
TNT Sports is available to stream via the discovery+ platform.
UK subscribers with a premium plan will be able to access TNT Sports and Eurosport via the discovery+ platform, allowing them to watch both networks’ live sport in the same place as well as discovery+ entertainment content.
The cost of the premium plan is £29.99 a month, the same as was previously charged for the BT Sport Monthly Pass.
Eurosport’s live rights include the Olympic Games and the Tour de France.
Georgiou said TNT Sports would be keenly focused on the Premier League’s invitation to tender for its next set of domestic television rights later this year.
“We are a premium sports broadcaster and our 100 per cent stated ambition is to remain a premium sports broadcaster, and reviewing our rights portfolio to make sure that remains (the case) is in the bullseye of our agenda,” he said.
“We look at everything that comes up. Obviously the Premier League tender is up at the end of the year. That is a key part of our rights portfolio and something we’re focused on.”
