Sweeping price increases at BT’s pay TV

BT is due to start charging its customers to access BT Sport for the first time, as part of wide-ranging set of price increases by the UK telco.

From August 1, BT TV customers will have to pay £3.50 (US$4.35) per month to access BT Sport.

Previously all BT TV customers – who have to take BT Broadband to receive TV services – could access BT Sport for free.

BT broadband customers who want to watch BT Sport on a Sky Box will have to pay £7.50 per month – an increase of £1.50. Meanwhile, non-BT Broadband customers who watch BT Sport on their Sky Box will see their monthly charge go up by £1 to £22.99.

BT broadband-only customers who watch BT Sport via thededicated BT Sport app will still have to pay £5 per month to do so. 

At the same time, BT said that from April 2 its BT Infinity fibre internet customers will see their bills go up by £2.50 per month, while basic copper broadband customers will receive a £2 per month price rise.

For phone customers, line rental was frozen at £18.99 per month, but costs per minute are due to rise by £0.01 per minute for both mobile and landlines.

Anytime call plans will also increase by £0.49 to £8.99 per month, with evening and weekend call plans to climb by £0.30 to £3.80 per month.

“This affects every one of BT’s customers to a lesser or greater extent and is in my opinion completely unjustified,” said Dan Howdle, a consumer telecoms expert at broadband price comparison site, Cable.co.uk.

“These price hikes are absurd in contrast to current rates of inflation and, quite rightly, I would expect BT customers to be fuming.”

However, BT Consumer CEO, John Petter, defended the move, saying: “Customers will get a better package and improved service from us this year in exchange for paying a little more.”