BT Sport reveals free-to-air European finals coverage

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BT Sport will make its coverage of the 2017 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League finals free to watch across its TV channels, online via the BT Sport website, app and YouTube.

As in 2016, both matches will be shown live for free on a number of platforms, including on Freeview via BT Sport Showcase HD, BT TV, Virgin Media, Sky and on BT Sport’s YouTube channel, as well as online via btsport.com and the BT Sport App, which will provide extra statistics, angles and exclusive content.

In addition, the UEFA Champions League final can also be viewer this year using the latest broadcast technology, giving viewers improved pictures and sound, with the game available for the first time in 4K UHD on YouTube, which requires a superfast broadband connection, as well as 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos sound on BT TV.

The showpiece finals will kick-off this year on Wednesday, May 24, with Manchester United’s quest for European glory in the UEFA Europa League final against Dutch legends Ajax in Stockholm.

It is not just the trophy up for grabs as the winners will be guaranteed a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season. Jake Humphrey will present BT Sport’s coverage live from the Friends Arena.

Less than two weeks later the biggest match in world club football will see BT Sport as the host broadcaster for the clash between European giants Real Madrid and Juventus on Saturday, 3 June, from Cardiff’s National Stadium of Wales.

Gary Lineker will be presenting BT Sport’s coverage live from Cardiff and will be joined by UEFA Champions League winners Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves, who will provide their expert analysis while Darren Fletcher leads the match commentary team.


WEDNESDAY 24th MAY

AJAX v MANCHESTER UTD
UEFA Europa League Final 2017
LIVE  6.30pm-10.30pm

19:45

SATURDAY 3rd JUNE

JUVENTUS v REAL MADRID
UEFA Champions League Final 2017
LIVE  6.00pm-11.00pm

19:45

 Freeview / YouView
Sky
Virgin Media
BT Sport Website
BT Sport App
YouTube
BT Sport VR App
BT Sport Showcase HD115
BT Sport 2 (SD)414 or 433
BT Sport Showcase 100 & 548
btsport.com/final
Free download via your app store
youtube.com/btsport
Free download via your app store

It is the second year in row that BT Sport has offered free live coverage of both UEFA European finals, which comes part of its deal with UEFA to provide a small window of free-to-air, primarily via its BT Sport Showcase channel, which has broadcast selected live games throughout the season.

However in early May, BT closed the SD version of its Showcase channel and launched a new HD equivalent on Freeview 115, a move which will initially reduce the number of households who can view the service.

John Petter, CEO BT Consumer, said:

“Making the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League available for free to everyone in the UK shows that BT really is serious about making sport much more accessible to the public. These are two of the biggest club football tournaments in the world and showing them live on social media and on mobile devices makes it more readily available to a younger audience as well as available to traditional TV viewers.

“BT Sport wants to offer the best possible experience to our viewers and so for this year’s UEFA Champions League final not only are we broadcasting in 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos sound, our live YouTube stream will also be available in 4K UHD. We will also be making the UEFA Champions League final available live via multiple 360°cameras. This will mean viewers will be able to watch on YouTube or via the new BT Sport VR App, either watching a directed programme with commentary and graphics or they can choose their position to view from eight locations in the stadium.”

“We believe that VR can offer our viewers an immersive second screen view which will enhance our coverage. We’re excited to be broadcasting what we believe to be the biggest multi-camera live 360° sporting event ever for the first time to our customers.”

As well as conventional TV coverage, for the first time ever the UEFA Champions League final will also be available through a number of 360° streams on YouTube and the new BT Sport Virtual Reality App, allowing viewers to choose between a 360° produced programme with commentary and graphics, or select their own camera viewpoint.

YouTube’s Senior Director in EMEA, Stephen Nuttall said:

“Our users love football, so we’re seriously excited to bring BT Sport’s ground-breaking coverage of these two massive games LIVE on YouTube, for a second year running. Fans today expect quality content on every screen and this partnership delivers just that. People can enjoy it wherever they are, on any screen and experience new ways of watching the beautiful game. Super high resolution, 360° VR – we can’t wait.”

BT Sport will remain the UK home of all live UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League football until at least 2020/21, a deal which from 2018/19 will include exclusive highlights rights to both competitions, ending ITV’s current free-to-air highlights offering.

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