Bt Sport Launches Campaign As Rio Joins Team
Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has signed a three-year deal with BT Sport to become an interviewer, programme-maker and football expert for the new sport’s channel, which also launched its first advertising push on Wednesday featuring Ferdinand’s United team-mate Robin van Persie, as well as Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale and Manchester City’s Joe Hart.
The 34 year-old, who has played 81 times so far for England, will make football and lifestyle programmes and conduct big name interviews as he does for his #5 magazine. He will also act as a BT Sport football expert and will join BT Sport from August 2013.
The Manchester United centre-half – who was last week named in the PFA Team of the Year 2012/13 in a poll of his fellow professionals – will also act as a BT ambassador alongside PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale and Van Persie, as well as Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Rio said: ‘I’m really excited about joining BT Sport. I will be doing a lot more than sitting on a sofa working as a football expert. I am going to be able to make programmes for BT Sport, not just about football, but also about other things that I am passionate about.’
‘And I will also be continuing to turn the tables as an interviewer putting the questions to big name stars, rather than answering the questions, like I do with my interviews for #5 magazine.’
BT Sport will offer 38 exclusively live Barclays Premier League games, including 18 of the top pick matches, for the next three years, as well as live top tier matches from Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, Brasileiro in Brazil and Major League Soccer in the USA.
BT’s recent acquisition of ESPN’s TV channels business in the UK and Ireland will also bring the rights to show live games for the FA Cup, Scottish Premier League, Europa League and the German Bundesliga.
This is in addition to up to 69 live rugby union games a season from the Aviva Premiership. In addition to matches from 21 global tournaments from the Women’s Tennis Association, including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships and a deal announced this week to broadcast UFC.
Meanwhile, BT has launched the first advertising push to promote the forthcoming launch of its sports channels.
Ads have appeared in a select amount of out of home spots, carrying the strapline “Great sport happens here”.
The telecoms company is set to officially unveil the BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 2 channels at a press event this Thursday at the former Olympic Park where they will be based.
