BT are in exclusive talks with Discovery Inc. about a joint 50/50 offering as a major rival to Sky Sports in the UK sports broadcasting market.BT Group, who have also been in talks with streaming company DAZN, have announced the negotiations with Discovery - who own Eurosport - to create a 'new sport and entertainment offering' in the UK.The venture would see events such as the Olympics, Premier League football, Champions League football, Grand Slam tennis, cycling Grand Tours and Premiership Rugby all on one entity.BT Sport customers would get access to Discovery Sport's sport and entertainment content, and vice-versa, including the discovery+ app.The target is to conclude negotiations soon for the new company to be operational later in 2022, should the deal be completed and approved.BT, amongst many, currently have the rights to major Premier League and European football, Premiership Rugby and even aired The Ashes over the winter.Marc Allera, CEO BT Consumer, said: 'The proposed joint venture with Discovery, Inc. would create an exciting new sports broadcasting entity for the UK and would act as a perfect home for our BT Sport business.'With a shared ambition for growth, as well as the combination of our world class sports assets along with Discovery's premium sports and entertainment content, our customers will benefit from even more content in more places.'Eurosport, meanwhile, have the rights to the Olympic Games, Grand Slam tennis, cycling Grand Tours and the winter sport World Cup season amongst others.'We are excited about this opportunity with BT Group to offer consumers a stronger and simplified combined sport offering in the U.K. and Ireland, and, more broadly, to advance our strategy of bringing sports and entertainment to more consumers on the platform of their choice,' said JB Perrette, President & CEO of Discovery Streaming & International.'We are aligned with BT Group on a shared vision to maximize the value and appeal of our respective UK sport assets, and we look forward to concluding a deal in the coming weeks.'Questions that are yet to be answered are whether the joint venture will be under the BT, Eurosport or a new brand, and whether future rights acquisitions will also be made on a 50/50 basis.Conrad Wiacek, head of sport analysis at GlobalData - a leading data and analytics company - believes the proposal is the first tangible threat to Sky since its inception.He told Sportsmail: 'Discovery entering into a joint venture with BT Sport ahead of an eventual purchase will not only change the shape of sports broadcasting, it is a legitimate threat to Sky's dominant market share position in UK and European sports broadcasting.'Discovery, which already owns the global media rights to the Olympic Games, is now likely to take control of one UK Premier League rights package, as well as exclusive rights to show the UEFA Champions League in the UK worth a combined $1bn (£735m) annually.'With Comcast now owning Sky and Discovery taking on BT Sport, the UK may become the first battle ground in the US giants' plans to become the dominant European sports broadcaster.'With Sky having an established presence in multiple European territories already, and BT Sport owning the Champions League rights in the UK until 2024, Discovery will be looking to maximise subscribers through its Discovery+ platform and Olympic coverage.'However, the big loser here is DAZN, which has been trying to establish a UK presence ahead of a possible IPO. Without BT's subscriber numbers, the "Netflix of Sport" now faces an uncertain future given the platform has been largely funded by billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik up to this point.'Without a presence in one of the world's largest sports rights markets, the viability of the entire platform may now be in question.'
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd.