BT Vision
BT TV logo since May 2013
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| Service | |
| Industry | Pay television |
| Founded | December 2006 (BT Vision) October 2012 (BT YouView) 2013 (BT TV) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Delia Bushell CEO |
| Products | Digital television |
| Owner | BT Group |
| Parent | BT Consumer |
| Website |
www tv |
BT TV is a subscription IPTV service offered by BT; a division of United Kingdom telecommunications company BT Group, and was originally launched as BT Vision in December 2006. As of the end of 2015, BT TV has 1.4 million customers.
BT TV provides on-demand content, 28 extra entertainment channels (18 of which are available in HD), 9 extra children's channels, 11 Movie channels (Sky Movies) and 5 live sports channels (BT Sport & Sky Sports). BT Sport channels are available in SD and HD through IPTV signals. BT Sport, ESPN and AMC from BT are now available in non-fibre areas over IPTV using copper multicast where available.
As BT TV transmits channels and content through IPTV, BT requires customers to sign up to the BT Broadband internet and phone service to use BT TV, with connection via BT's official router, BT Home Hub.
BT started rebranding its TV services – Vision and BT's YouView service as BT TV between May and August 2013. On 11 April 2014, BT announced that the original Vision service will be closed down as of 30 June, with all customers getting a free upgrade to its modern YouView service. The Vision service was, after August 2013, solely used to broadcast Sky Sports, as well as BT Sport for non-Infinity customers. Sky Sports 1 & 2 were made available to YouView customers on Tuesday 16 December 2014 following an interim ruling from the Appeal Court backing Ofcoms ruling that YouView is to be included in the Wholesale Must Offer of the channels.
When British Telecom (BT) was privatised in 1984, it was barred from providing television broadcasts over its telecommunication network, which meant that it was not possible for BT to provide a cable television service. The ban was designed to protect the new smaller telecommunications companies and the small cable television networks in the United Kingdom as it was felt that BT had an unfair advantage because its pre-privatisation monopoly meant that its equipment was already installed in virtually every home and business in the country. In January 2001, the ban was lifted.
BT Vision was launched on 5 December 2006, competing with Sky, Virgin Media (then known as NTL:Telewest) and TalkTalk Plus TV (then known as Tiscali TV). Initial industry reaction was positive although there was some criticism that set up costs were expensive and it was noted that BT Group were entering a competitive market. In May 2007, BT Group launched a national advertising campaign for BT Vision. BT Vision was the second IPTV television platform in the UK, after Homechoice TV.
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