BT may challenge High Court ruling on Sky Sports price hike

BT may challenge High Court ruling on Sky Sports price hike
BT thinks it should be paying less to bring its customers Sky Sports

BT CEO Ian Livingstone says he is "minded to appeal" a decision to allow Sky to raise the prices it charges the telecoms giant for its premium sports channels.

Back in August, a High Court tribunal overturned an Ofcom ruling requiring BSkyB to sell the Sky Sports to its competitors like BT Vision at wholesale prices.

BT currently currently pays Sky the 'wholesale must offer' fee of £19.07 a month for every customer who subscribes to Sky Sports 1 and 2 using BT Vision.

The company believes that cost to be too high, considering it sells the channels onto customers at a lower price.

Discretion

BT has until November 26 to decide whether to appeal the High Court ruling but, according to the FT, may decide that discretion is the better form of valour on this occasion.

The company is currently considering whether to offer its planned sports channel, which will show 38 Premier League games next season, to Sky customers.

It may also chase Sky Atlantic, which broadcasts shows like Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, for its BT Vision user base, according to the report.

Via FT

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.