[Archived] BT /ESPN

[PAFELL]

I got rid of sky broadband last week and got BT infinity. (Appears to be faster than before download 73.52 mbps and 17.38 mbps, not being a geek, I would not know if that is good or bad.)

Gave the 31 days notice to give up sky TV - I've had constant requests from sky, via email, letter, text, phone to reconsider since. In fact Sky's attitude since I gave notice to end my subscription has made me more determined to get rid of sky. I would rather listen to a match on a radio, than give sky a penny.

BT infinity comes with BT Sport - which I can watch on my computer. Though I believe there is a way of putting the same onto my TV via my computer - not looked into that bit yet.

I decided against getting BT vision - I am only interested in sport anyway.

If I want to see a particular match, that BT are not showing. Then I will go to a pub - what I spend in the pub will be no way near what I would spend on a commitment to a sky subscription package over a year. Especially as I would not want to see / or not able to see, all the matches that appear on sky.

To watch sky sports you need to have a basic sky TV package - cheapest being £21.50 a month, then add sports on for £22.00 per month. That's a £41.50 commitment per month - not counting broadband / phone line £15.00 a month. Not much cheaper than BT to be honest, as it is £15.00 per month cheaper. - I get broadband, BT sport & phone line.

Though I am also aware that sky are doing day passes for sky sports at £9.00 for the day (last time I checked) Which I doubt I will take up.

[Veevs]

Veevs was the £122 cashback just for signing up with BT?

The reason I ask is I only pay £120 per year for BT broadband plus Vision and Sport thrown in free when it begins. £122 seems a lot in that situation.

Yep as a new customer, and with the £50 sainsburys voucher I basically ended up £172 (plus 6months half price broadband) in pocket.. however it did cost me for the BT Vision box (£50) which is to be expected (this however I paid after receiving the cashback lol)... Deal is actually a little better at the moment..

Copied from topcashback site.

BT Broadband or BT Infinity Fibre + Calls + BT TV

£115.50

Ends in 2 Days

BT Broadband customers get a £50 Sainsbury’s Gift Card!

BT Infinity customers get a £100 Sainsbury’s Gift Card!

Says ends in two days but they will put it on again fairly soon no doubt...

TCB are also exceptional for other cashback offers all over the shop e.g. £75 aviva, £57 nPower, £125 sky, £115 Orange...

[Veevs]

Stuck a small post in the "I can't believe its not football" section as surprised not more people use them. (link to top cashback, please note I have put my referal ID in there.. http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/Veevs

[blueboy3333]

I've read the thread but i'm a bit of a simpleton so my questions are:

I've only got freeview, i don't want BT Broadband, can i still get the BT sports package on my Freeview box? (i've noticed that BT Sports 1&2 are on there) Do i just ring BT and they'll activate the channels? How much is it?

Thanks in advance.

[Tom]

Bt sport is live and free for the day for everyone and I have to say the HD looks stunning much crisper than most other channels

[somersetrover]

Cheapest unlimited package you can get including TV, BB & Phone is £30.75 per month... I've just been on the Sky site and the same deal is over £60 (granted you get the extra sky sports channels 3,4,5 & 6), but is that really worth paying double the price?

!!!)

If you can afford it, then it is defiantly worth it sky's coverage of what ever they do it fantastic and they also have a far wider range of sports than BT which premier events are a minority of premier league football matches and The Rugby Union premiership (which doesn't interest me), BT will fall by the wayside like all of those that have challenged Sky before, really its just ESPN rebranded.

[Paul]

I have to hope somersetrover is wrong about BT falling by the wayside. I've no idea if it is ESPN re-branded as I never watched ESPN.

There are a number of reasons I wouldn't pay £60/month for Sky, one being I simply don't have the time to spend watching enough TV to justify it - no rant about Murdoch today!!

I always felt Sky missed a huge opportunity by not offering. PPV to households like ours. From time to time there are events we would watch and happily pay for, perhaps as much as £15-20. As it stands the current sports monopoly simply means we are lost to the sport, advertisers, etc. and our interest fades.

For example I'm a big cycling fan who prefers to ride than watch. However I love watching the TDF, even used to take time off work for some stages. This year I saw nothing and have already decided not to bother going to the UK legs next year. Froome doesn't appear to have received the attention Wiggins did last year and I'm sure it's through lack of TV exposure. I know he's a great rider but only know of him through 2012 and not this year. That's disappointing for the rider rather than me.

Apparently there's a test series bring played. My lad would have watched and I might dip in and out with him. As it is I haven't a clue what's happening. We used to go to LCCC regularly but the lack of interest created by TV killed that off.

Shame really but that is and always was the likely result of TV monopoly.

We have BT for £22/month including phone, broadband, PPV films, free sport. I really hope if succeeds and don't imagine a company if BT's size will let it fail.

[Stuart]

ITV are a pretty big company, Paul...

[Paul]

What do you mean Stuart? Are they launching something as well? I am serious.

[PAFELL]

I got rid of Sky and switched to BT. I had Skys full package, broadband. I found with Sky I was watching things for the sake of it. Or was either working, doing other commitments etc that prevented my using sky enough Although you could save programes / films etc. It then took ages playing catch up.

We found TV was starting to dictate how I or my family lived. We needed to get home because a certain thing was starting, which clashed with something we were recording. Or meal times were changed to suit time of something we all wanted to watch etc etc.

As a family we decided enough was enough. We did not want TV to dictate. So we got rid of sky broadband and had the BT Infinity installed. Gave the 31 day cancellation notice required to cancel the TV part.

Although imitially it was a pain as our subscription ended at the last programe of a seris we had been watching - one of us said at the end of the day, "It is just a programe".

As things stand today, we get out a lot more, see more of each other. Also meant we are £720 a year (£60 a month) better off. Ok BT will only have 38 matches - but that is more than one a week. If we want to see a particular match - then we can go to a pub to watch it.

During the 31 days notice to cancel the sky subscription. I lost count of the amount of emails, letters, texts, phone calls we received from sky asking us to reconsider our cancelation. That in itself was enough to put me off wanting sky back. We will watch what sport we want to see on BT and thats that. Apart from that the TV is off.

[Biddy]

ITV ran ITV Digital (you know, the one with the Johnny Vegas and Monkey adverts) after OnDigital.

When ITV failed it became freeview and all the football league clubs lost tons of money from the failed deal.

[Stuart]

What do you mean Stuart? Are they launching something as well? I am serious.

Sorry Paul. As Biddy points out ITV Digital went belly up stinging the football league clubs - as well as yours truly.

ITV didn't suffer of course because it was a different company.

BT backing it offers no guarantees.

[roverthemoon]

I have to hope somersetrover is wrong about BT falling by the wayside. I've no idea if it is ESPN re-branded as I never watched ESPN. There are a number of reasons I wouldn't pay £60/month for Sky, one being I simply don't have the time to spend watching enough TV to justify it - no rant about Murdoch today!! I always felt Sky missed a huge opportunity by not offering. PPV to households like ours. From time to time there are events we would watch and happily pay for, perhaps as much as £15-20. As it stands the current sports monopoly simply means we are lost to the sport, advertisers, etc. and our interest fades. For example I'm a big cycling fan who prefers to ride than watch. However I love watching the TDF, even used to take time off work for some stages. This year I saw nothing and have already decided not to bother going to the UK legs next year. Froome doesn't appear to have received the attention Wiggins did last year and I'm sure it's through lack of TV exposure. I know he's a great rider but only know of him through 2012 and not this year. That's disappointing for the rider rather than me. Apparently there's a test series bring played. My lad would have watched and I might dip in and out with him. As it is I haven't a clue what's happening. We used to go to LCCC regularly but the lack of interest created by TV killed that off. Shame really but that is and always was the likely result of TV monopoly. We have BT for £22/month including phone, broadband, PPV films, free sport. I really hope if succeeds and don't imagine a company if BT's size will let it fail.

The Tour de France was on ITV4 not Sky. You missed out there Paul.

[Paul]

The Tour de France was on ITV4 not Sky. You missed out there Paul.

Certainly did. I don't remember ITV advertising it at all. I did expect to find the TDF on ITV4 but having failed to find it a couple of times assumed Sky had it.

[Paul]

Sorry Paul. As Biddy points out ITV Digital went belly up stinging the football league clubs - as well as yours truly.

ITV didn't suffer of course because it was a different company.

BT backing it offers no guarantees.

Ah yes had forgotten that. It was grim from the the very little I recall.

I agree BT offer no guarantees but imagine this to be start of BT looking for a new direction. Our house rarely users the land line and our BT annual bill, excluding PPV films, is down to £350pa. BT needs new income streams and if they are smart will know there is a big market from households like ours who don't want Sky but do want PPV across a wide range of services. I really hope this is the direction as its the first "subscription" TV relevant to our wishes.

[Biddy]

To be fair, On/ITV Digital at the time were tapping into a tiny and technology lacking market. They had the tiny bit of digital space between all the analogue channels so very few people could actually get all the channels. They also didn't help themselves that they used terribly old encryption so those few people who could get it, could easily get it for free.

BT on the other hand now have a much bigger install base and a more mature broadband offering.

[Gav]

ESPN America has gone off air? no more college football?

What the heck is all that about

[Tom]

College football will be shown on one of the BT Channels I think

[Kamy100]

College football was on main ESPN channel last night.

[West Yorks Rover]

Why on earth would any British person want to watch American college football ?

[Gav]

Why on earth would any British person want to watch American college football ?

Same reason any British person would watch the NFL or NBA....

[blueboy3333]

Certainly did. I don't remember ITV advertising it at all. I did expect to find the TDF on ITV4 but having failed to find it a couple of times assumed Sky had it.

It's been on ITV4 for years. Boardman is one of the presenters. The live coveraghe is also excellent. Can't say i can warm to Froome though!

[West Yorks Rover]

Same reason any British person would watch the NFL or NBA....

Exactly but why, its garbage and all hype, just like most things American.

[Hanks]

ITV 4 will also be showing 2 hours live coverage of the tour of Britain this year and nightly highlights of the Vuelta.

[Paul]

It's been on ITV4 for years. Boardman is one of the presenters. The live coveraghe is also excellent. Can't say i can warm to Froome though!

Yes I know and was really surprised when I couldn't find it. I was really busy during the TDF and didn't get much chance to watch.

On the last day though I made time to sit down and watch but didn't see it in the schedule. Clearly my fault though.