BT to charge for BT Sport as part of sweeping pric

BT to charge for BT Sport as part of sweeping price increases
BT is due to start charging its customers to access BT Sport for the first time, as part of wide-ranging set of price increases by the UK telco.

From August 1, BT TV customers will have to pay £3.50 per month to access BT Sport. Previously all BT TV customers – who have to take BT Broadband to receive TV services – could access BT Sport for free.

BT broadband customers who want to watch BT Sport on a Sky Box will have to pay £7.50 per month – an increase of £1.50. Meanwhile, non-BT Broadband customers who watch BT Sport on their Sky Box will see their monthly charge go up by £1 to £22.99.

BT broadband-only customers who watch BT Sport via the dedicated BT Sport app will still have to pay £5 per month to do so.

At the same time, BT said that from April 2 its BT Infinity fibre internet customers will see their bills go up by £2.50 per month, while basic copper broadband customers will receive a £2 per month price rise.

For phone customers, line rental was frozen at £18.99 per month, but costs per minute are due to rise by £0.01 per minute for both mobile and landlines.

Anytime call plans will also increase by £0.49 to £8.99 per month, with evening and weekend call plans to climb by £0.30 to £3.80 per month.

“This affects every one of BT’s customers to a lesser or greater extent and is in my opinion completely unjustified,” said Dan Howdle, a consumer telecoms expert at broadband price comparison site, Cable.co.uk.

“These price hikes are absurd in contrast to current rates of inflation and, quite rightly, I would expect BT customers to be fuming.”

However, BT Consumer CEO, John Petter, defended the move, saying: “Customers will get a better package and improved service from us this year in exchange for paying a little more.”