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Price hikes for BT Sport and TV customers

Emma Lunn
Written By:
Emma Lunn
Posted:
Updated:
19/06/2019

BT has emailed hundreds of thousands of customers to tell them the cost of their Sport and TV packages will be going up by up to £48 a year from 28 July.

BT customers on the Classic, Essential, Sport Starter, Entertainment and Entertainment Plus packages will see a £1 a month price rise, those on Entertainment Starter will pay £2 a month more, while households on the Max plan will see their bill go up by £4 a month.

Customers using the BT Sport app will also see a £1 a month price rise. BT Broadband customers can add the BT Sport app to their package for £10 a month.

BT has emailed affected customers with details of how much their bill will increase.

The move is likely to upset football fans who signed up to BT Sport to watch Champions League football, which it has the exclusive rights to. BT Sport also has the rights to Europa League matches, 52 Premier League games, European and Premiership Rugby Union, and UFC fights.

Customers who want to show BT the red card have the right to remove the BT TV and Sport part of their BT package penalty-free within 30 days of receiving the notice of the price change. However, you won’t be able to cancel a BT broadband or phone contract until you’re out of the minimum contract term.

BT announced earlier this year that it won’t increase prices for broadband customers until March 2020. After this date, prices will rise in line with the consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation each January.

Shop around

Dani Warner, TV expert at uSwitch.com, said: “BT’s legion of customers will be hit hard by these rises, with just a few pounds a month very quickly adding up and potentially proving costly in the long run. BT Sport, driven by its football offering, is a premium product, but many will feel they were already paying a substantial amount to enjoy it.

“Price rise announcements are often good moments for customers to assess whether they are really getting value for money for their service, and BT has to be wary of any complacency when it comes to its users’ loyalty.

“There is more choice than ever in both services and providers. Just last week, we noted there could be as much as £500 difference for Premier League football fans wanting to watch the upcoming season across various subscription services, including BT Sport. Ultimately, BT will have to show itself to be offering value, regardless of the prices it is demanding, or customers will vote with their feet – which they can do for free mid-contract as a result of this increase.”

Last month Is My Bill Fair calculated that football fans could save a combined £197m – nearly £100 each – by pausing their sports TV package until the start of the next season.