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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Sky refuses to air BT's ads for its Premier League coverage | Sky refuses to air BT's ads for its Premier League coverage |
| (36 minutes later) | |
| BSkyB has refused to air a multimillion-pound TV advertising campaign booked by BT to promote its Premier League and other sports coverage. | BSkyB has refused to air a multimillion-pound TV advertising campaign booked by BT to promote its Premier League and other sports coverage. |
| On Monday, it emerged that BT has complained to media watchdog Ofcom about the satellite giant's actions, in an escalation of the bitter rivalry between the two media giants. | On Monday, it emerged that BT has complained to media watchdog Ofcom about the satellite giant's actions, in an escalation of the bitter rivalry between the two media giants. |
| BT, which spent £738m to snatch 38 top flight Premier League matches a season last year, is set to spend millions of pounds on advertising the launch of two new sports channels from July. Its Premiership coverage will launch from 17 August. | BT, which spent £738m to snatch 38 top flight Premier League matches a season last year, is set to spend millions of pounds on advertising the launch of two new sports channels from July. Its Premiership coverage will launch from 17 August. |
| A key part of BT's strategy to build awareness and viewers is to run TV advertising on BSkyB targeting the existing football and sports fans among its 10m-plus subscriber base. | A key part of BT's strategy to build awareness and viewers is to run TV advertising on BSkyB targeting the existing football and sports fans among its 10m-plus subscriber base. |
| However, BSkyB has refused to air BT's ad campaign – which as well as football was to highlight other sports it has secured TV rights for including Premiership Rugby, European Cup Rugby and top-flight women's tennis – although it is not clear on what grounds. | However, BSkyB has refused to air BT's ad campaign – which as well as football was to highlight other sports it has secured TV rights for including Premiership Rugby, European Cup Rugby and top-flight women's tennis – although it is not clear on what grounds. |
| Ofcom is investigating the grievance under the Code on the Prevention of Undue Discrimination between Broadcast Advertisers. | |
| BT has lodged a complaint with Ofcom on the grounds that BSkyB is showing "undue discrimination" against it by refusing to air the campaign. | BT has lodged a complaint with Ofcom on the grounds that BSkyB is showing "undue discrimination" against it by refusing to air the campaign. |
| "We are happy to take Sky's advertising but they seem afraid of taking ours," says John Petter, managing director of consumer for BT Retail. "It's like a rottweiler running away from a newborn puppy." | "We are happy to take Sky's advertising but they seem afraid of taking ours," says John Petter, managing director of consumer for BT Retail. "It's like a rottweiler running away from a newborn puppy." |
| BSkyB says it has invested billions of pounds in its own sports channels and will not run a rival ad campaign on the Sky Sports portfolio. However, it says BT is free to run its ads on the 100-plus other channels that Sky sells TV ad spots across. | |
| "There many other avenues for BT to advertise its sports channels without seeking to take advantage of the investments that we've made to build Sky Sports," said a spokeswoman. "It's entirely reasonable for us to choose not to carry advertising for a directly competing service." | |
| ESPN, which currently holds the rights to some Premier League matches, does run football ads across Sky Sports, but does have a reciprocal carriage deal to air Sky channels. BT does not currently have a deal to air its sports content to Sky customers. | |
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