Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained
TNT Sports has arrived on TV screens in the UK, the channel’s rebranding from BT Sport is complete and the new season of Premier League and Champions League football and Premiership Rugby is shown on the channel.
The renaming follows the purchase of BT Sport by Warner Bros. Discovery, which also owns Eurosport. Over time, the two channels will be merged under the TNT Sports brand, allowing fans to watch top football, rugby, tennis and Olympic sports action under one roof.
For the time being, however, Eurosport remains independent – the broadcaster is the main rights holder for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the UK and Ireland.
But what does this mean for subscribers and what is TNT Sports?
What was BT Sport and what sports did the channel show?
Launched in August 2013, BT Sport is a group of pay-TV sports channels available in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It features sports such as Premier League and Champions League football, Premiership and Champions Cup rugby, Australian and New Zealand cricket and MotoGP.
What is Warner Bros. Discovery and when was a merger agreed?
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and BT Group announced last year that they had reached an agreement to create a joint venture that will eventually combine Eurosport and BT Sport’s channels and portfolios. Warner Bros. Discovery is a multinational mass media company that operates many of the world’s largest television brands, including CNN and HBO.
What is TNT Sports?
TNT Sports will be a familiar brand to the people of Latin America, where it is the home of top-flight national and European football. From July 2023, the channel will now have its own brand in the UK and Ireland ahead of the start of the 2023/24 football season.
“Already synonymous with premium live sports in many countries around the world, the TNT Sports name is another sign of the global reach and expertise that WBD brings to its partnership with BT,” said Andrew Georgiou, Managing Director of WBD Sports Europe. explained the decision to change the name.
What does this mean for former BT Sport subscribers?
For TV viewers, BT Sport has become TNT Sports with no new channel to set.
For those who regularly watch via the BT Sport app, Discovery+ will be the new live streaming home of the rebranded channel. Fans wishing to subscribe to TNT Sports directly through Discovery+ will need to pay £29.99 a month, the same as previously for the BT Sport Monthly Pass – this includes access to Eurosport and the platform’s entertainment offerings.
What sports can I watch on the new channel once the merger is complete?
The merger will allow sports fans to watch many of the world’s biggest sporting events on one channel. These include: the Olympic Games, Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, UFC, Boxing, WWE, Tennis Grand Slams, Cycling Grand Tours and Winter Sports Season.
