BT has announced a new seven-year deal with ESPN that will increase the amount of content provided by the American sports broadcaster to around 5,000 hours per year.
BT Sport's acquisition of the rights to broadcast Premier League matches in 2012 - replacing ESPN as the joint-rights holder with Sky - brought about an agreement that saw the ESPN channels and content in the UK bought out by the telecoms giant.
The new agreement, which will run until 2022, allows BT to continue to use the ESPN name and branding in the UK, including broadcast of the ESPN-branded TV channel. Programming provided by ESPN to BT over the course of the deal will include Verizon IndyCar Series, NCAA College Football and Basketball, X Games and the AFL.
John Petter, chief exec of BT Consumer, said: "Continuing with ESPN, one of the world's leading sports brands, as part of the BT Sport portfolio is a win for our viewers, our partners and sport fans in the UK and Ireland. Our relationship with ESPN since BT Sport began operation of the ESPN channel in the UK and Ireland has been a big success, with the two companies collaborating on a number of initiatives."
Other rights held by BT include the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Aviva Premiership rugby, the FA Cup and from next season, the Champions League and Europa League.
Neil Wilkes
