BT Sport is officially changing its name later this year, with the platform rebranding to TNT Sports.
It’s all part of the ongoing wider merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery and has also affected Max in the US.
If you’re an existing BT Sport subscriber – or are considering signing up – then you may be wondering how this change will impact you. Fortunately, we’ve got the answers to your questions.
When is BT Sport rebranding to TNT Sports?
BT has confirmed that BT Sport will rebrand to TNT Sports on 18 July 2023. So, the last day the service will remain as BT Sport is 17 July 2023.
There will be four TNT Sports channels in total, which we believe will replace the BT Sport channels. As for the Eurosport channels, Warner Bros. Discovering provided the following statement in a press release:
“TNT Sports will present the live sports rights carried by BT Sport today, while Eurosport in the U.K & Ireland will continue to be available in the same way as it is today before being rolled into the new brand at some time in the future.”
Why is BT Sport rebranding to TNT Sports?
Discovery also owns the premium streaming platform Eurosport, and the idea is that both this service and BT Sport will be available under one single offering – TNT Sports.
This means the platform will have the rights to the Olympics, the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, UFC, Boxing, WWE, tennis Grand Slams, cycling Grand Tours and winter sports.
TNT Sports is already an established brand in Latin America, so Warner is unifying its titles under one name across the globe.
Eurosport retired its dedicated streaming player in January, moving its content to Discovery+.
Will the price of BT Sport change when the rebranding happens?
If you’re currently in a TV contract, then BT has confirmed on its landing page that there are no plans to alter pricing when the name change takes place. Of course, it has neither confirmed nor denied whether this will happen further down the line.
On the flexible subscription front, things are less clear. Currently if you want to pay for BT Sport on a monthly rolling contract, you have to pay £29.99 per month. We do know that anyone wanting to do this after 18 July will have to go via the Discovery+ app, rather than the dedicated BT Sport app.
BT customers should already have access to the Discovery+ Entertainment & Sports membership at no extra cost, and you can find out more on the Discovery+ website. The same is true for anyone that gets BT Sport through Sky.
If you have both a Discovery+ streaming membership and access to BT Sport, you can cancel your Discovery+ membership (this will end after your last billing date) and simply watch via your BT credentials.
Your billing details will be under the name TNT Sports rather than BT Sport when the rebrand happens.
BT also told us that Virgin Media includes (and will continue to include) Eurosport and TNT Sports linear channels in its TV packages
How do I change from BT Sport to TNT Sports?
We don’t yet know whether BT Sport subscribers will have to do anything when the changeover happens.
As stated above, app users will have to go via Discovery+ for content instead.
I’m a Discovery+ Entertainment and Sports subscriber. What do I need to know?
If you don’t’ have a BT Sport subscription and just watch your sport via Discovery+, then right now you don’t need to do anything. However, we suspect that the service will offer a bundle with TNT Sports when the launch happens.
Discovery will communicate any price changes with customers should they arise. Currently you can get two separate services, either an Entertainment Pass for £3.99 per month, or an Entertainment and Sports pass for £6.99 per month.
I subscribe to BT Sport through Plusnet. What do I need to know?
The new Warner Bros. Discovery venture means that sadly BT Sport will not be available through Plusnet anymore. BT has confirmed that the service will be withdrawn on 5 July 2023.
If you’ve paid for a BT Sport subscription beyond this date, then BT should automatically provide a refund to your bill.
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Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.