That was the reaction of one of my friends when I told them I had just signed up with BT Sport for the next 18 months. My reply was, well you pay for the wages of Steve Claridge and Garth Crooks when paying your TV licence.
It works out that I’ll be paying at extra £10 per month. I spent in excess of that watching us beat Chelsea on Sunday. I’ll still head out to the pub for the big games, but it there are many reason for wanting BT Sport, in addition to my Sky Sports package. Having access to the extra Premiership games, as well as the FA Cup will be great on occasions. And I’m a huge fan of Italian football, so watching the Rome derby on a Sunday evening will be the perfect end to a weekend. But the real jewel of the crown is the Champions League games. I just couldn’t face the prospect of missing out on watching Europe’s finest (and Manchester United) in action after a day at work.
I agree that the pundits hired by BT Sport will turn many people off. Owen is banal at the best of times, Savage is just awful and Rio Ferdinand, for all his achievements in a glittering career offers few insights into the game. But there are a few gems. James Richardson deserves a bigger stage for his talents and Lineker remains a safe pair of hands. But nevertheless, I don’t really get hung up too much on who is offering the half time analysis. I’m looking forward to some great games to help keep the away the winter blues. And I’ve not even started to discuss the UFC on show….