Eurosport and BT Sport to join together

[Roger Darthwell]

I think that they are going to call it Warner Sports

[Brekkie]

The way the WBD merger seems to be playing out already I wouldn't be so sure that by the time these launch (presumably for the 2023/24 season) WarnerBros Discovery is as it is today. I suspect a demerger will happen sooner rather than later.

[Internationalman]

The way the WBD merger seems to be playing out already I wouldn't be so sure that by the time these launch (presumably for the 2023/24 season) WarnerBros Discovery is as it is today.  I suspect a demerger will happen sooner rather than later.

Yeeeaaahhh, let's not be so sure.

[Medianext.MX]

With the situation of a possible de-merger of the JV, how about Eurosport Premium or Eurosport Xtra? In Germany and Portugal, there were special channels named Eurosport 2 HD Xtra, designed to house country-specific channels (Eurosport 2 being a single Europe-wide feed); both channels are since defunct. The idea might be to name the pack as Eurosport Premium, Eurosport Xtra or Eurosport+, in an attempt to get the pack in line with the longer-existing Eurosport, with the channels being renamed under the Eurosport moniker, for example:

BT Sport 1 = Eurosport 3 (focusing on football and rugby union)
BT Sport 2 = Eurosport 1 Xtra (focusing on cricket and motorsport)
BT Sport 3 = Eurosport 2 Xtra (focusing on extreme sport, combat sport and wrestling)
BT Sport Ultimate = Eurosport 4K Xtra (as implied by the name, 4K coverage of sports)
BT Sport ESPN = ESPN by Eurosport, or Eurosport America (focusing on American sport)
BoxNation = BoxNation by Eurosport, or Eurosport BoxNation (focusing on boxing)

Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 would remain as separate, basic channels; Eurosport 1 would offer a selection of the premium offering (à la Sky Sports Mix) but retaining its existing lower-profile offering. For the Olympics, the premium channels would offer extra content (similar to how Eurosport handled extra linear channels in Pyeongchang and Tokyo) and possibly offering a free pass for non-subscribers for the duration of the Games and for some time afterwards (coinciding with the beginning of top flight leagues).

[Transmission]

I doubt it, Eurosport is seen as a non-premium brand in the UK, on the basic tier of subscriptions. I can't imagine it'll be used.

BT Sport ESPN = ESPN by Eurosport, or Eurosport America (focusing on American sport)

The ESPN name will be gone from the channel imminently, anyway (as will "Extra", as it happens).

I have no idea what they'll do, but if I had to guess this is what I would speculate might happen: 

I expect they won't want to commit to a new name until they have decided how they are going to merge Discovery+ and HBO Max in terms of branding

[Brekkie]

Although I think BT have said they'll still be showing ESPN content following the rebrand of the channel I wonder if Disney may have an eye on Disney+ entering the streaming sports markets in the UK under the ESPN brand? I don't think there is any suggestion that is imminent but as more and more sport heads in the direction of streamers it surely will be under consideration before long.

[RR]

Also, although it is doing little but limping on at the moment, isn't Box Nation part of Premier Sport these days, albeit for historical contractual reasons still available to BT Sport subscribers?

[Michael]

Also, although it is doing little but limping on at the moment, isn't Box Nation part of Premier Sport these days, albeit for historical contractual reasons still available to BT Sport subscribers?

Indeed - and the only time I've watched it ever was when Box Nation was used as a spillover channel for Nations League coverage

[Rdd]

Any live boxing they have these days - which is a rarity - is simulcast on Premier Sports. It’s not part of the Sports Extra pack in Ireland but is on the Irish EPG and apparently still available to those who took it stand-alone back in the day. There’s not really any controversy about this because they don’t really show anything except archive content tbh.

ESPN…what they are offering BT through their partnership is essentially US college sports and the CFL and that’s a fairly niche proposition. Most people on this side of the Atlantic who would describe themselves as fans of American football would probably really be better described as NFL fans and probably wouldn’t bother with the NCAA never mind the CFL. It gives BT a chunk of content but realistically it’s not going to be something they’re going to be running a Disney+ subscription drive on.

[thegeek]

The ESPN name will be gone from the channel imminently, anyway (as will "Extra", as it happens)

August 1st will be the 9th anniversary of the channel's launch - I guess also the expiry of the ESPN naming deal.

It looks like it'll also be when the Extra channels get renamed: BT Sport Extra 1 becomes BT Sport 5; BT Sport Extra 6 becomes BT Sport 10 (and you can probably work out the bits in between).

[JAS84]

And BT Sport ESPN becomes BT Sport 4 I assume?

[RhysJR]

And BT Sport ESPN becomes BT Sport 4 I assume?

That is indeed correct

https://www.mediamole.co.uk/entertainmen...89865.html

[Brekkie]

ESPN becoming BT Sport 4 I understand but not sure of the logic of rebranding the "Extra" channels. When you said they were going I assumed they were going completely with additional streams online only.

[TATsim]

Not merger related but referencing the comment about EE earlier on in this thread... I got the 2022/23 BTsports sticker through the post for my pub, along with the posters. Most of them have lost the purple colour, replaced with shades of blue or grey and the window sticker now says 'BT Sport - Connected by EE', I'm guessing this is more related with the push of the EE brand over BT, but interesting to see the 2 logos nearly the same size none the less.

[Transmission]

Yep, the "Connected by EE" branding was used around the finals at the end of the season (Champions League, Europa League, Premiership Rugby) and I'm assuming that was a taster for the coming season.