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Champions League football sees BT net over 1.4m TV subscribers

Demand for live and exclusive UEFA Champions and Europa League football has seen BT add 97,000 new TV customers in the last three months. 

The UK’s biggest ISP and soon to be biggest mobile network now has 1.4 million TV customers of its own. Average viewing figures for BT Sport – which is also available to Sky, Virgin and Plusnet TV customers – increased by 46 per cent. 

Related: How to watch BT Sport, BT Sport app for iOS and Android reviewedThe free-to-air taster channel BT Sport Showcase has also proven a hit; since the channel launched on digital terrestrial TV platforms last August, BT’s broadcast 20 live events which have racked up peak viewing figures of over a million. 

BT’s big £897 million splurge on European football rights seems to be paying off. Overall revenue is up 11 per cent, the ‘best ever’ according to BT, driven by a 23 per cent increase in both broadband and TV revenue. It probably helps that in order to get BT TV or BT Sport on Sky at a reduced rate, you need to have a BT Broadband subscription. 
 
Chief executive of BT Group Gavin Patterson said: “BT Consumer had a standout quarter, increasing its overall line base for the first time in well over a decade and capturing 71 per cent of new broadband customers. Good customer growth in broadband, TV and mobile helped to grow ARPU by 7 per cent. 

“Customers like what we’re offering, whether that’s superfast broadband, Champions League football or mobile data bundles. BT Global Services also did well with good revenue growth in continental Europe and Asia.”

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