BT Sets Aside $153M For Ad Blitz To Promote BT Sport, Battle Rival BSkyB

BT has set aside £100M ($153M) to promote its new sports channels, "as it attempts to overthrow two decades of football dominance by BSkyB ahead of next season's Premier League," according to Arif Durrani of MEDIA WEEK. Sources said that marketing execs at the company "are preparing to boost" annual media expenses by £30M ($46M) this year, representing a 30% increase on '12, "to help with the launch." BT took out ads in the first five pages and last five pages of every single national newspaper available in the U.K. last weekend. Extensive outdoor activity "will follow in a campaign" that has been created by AMV BBDO with media handled by WPP’s Maxus. The campaign "is set to provide a welcome boost for many media owners this summer, as BSkyB is expected to respond in kind with heavy marketing activity of its own" (MEDIA WEEK, 5/10).