BT Raises Prices For Customers To Pay For $1.6 Billion Move Into Sports Television

BT "is bringing in inflation-busting price rises" after its £1B ($1.6B)-plus move into sports TV to take on the likes of Sky Sports, according to Peter Campbell of the London DAILY MAIL. The telecom company's 10 million customers "will see their monthly packages increase" by up to 6.5% from Jan. 4. A company spokesperson said, "Every customer will be affected by this." BT said, "These price changes are not linked to the launch of BT Sport. We revise our prices every year in what is an intensely competitive market and whilst some go up, others come down" (DAILY MAIL, 9/28). In London, Steve Hawkes wrote a BT spokesperson justified the increases by explaining that BT was investing in "sport and superfast broadband." BT insisted earlier this summer that BT Sport would be "free of charge" to existing BT broadband customers. So far around a million "have opted to receive the sports channels" (TELEGRAPH, 9/27).