British Telecom has today denied that a sizeable price increase for BT Broadband customers has been brought in to help cover the cost of the expensive BT Sport channels.
The ISP will raise the cost of the majority of home phone and broadband packages by 6.5 per cent on January 4, as part of its annual price review, the company admitted on Friday.
However, the launch of the BT Sport channel, which has the rights to 38 Premier League football games for the next three seasons, has reportedly cost the company in the region of £1 billion.
BT is offering the channels free to BT Broadband subscribers, but it appears that even those who're getting it free will be paying in one way or another.
Own goal
In a statement given to the Guardian, BT denied the two were related. "These price changes are not linked to the launch of BT Sport.
"We revise our prices every year in what is an intensely competitive market and whilst some go up, others come down."
Only those who sign up for current deals or those on the new copper or fibre broadband connections launched in tandem with BT Sport will avoid the price hike.
For those who won't abide by the new charges, BT is offering users the opportunity to get out of their existing deals in ten days.
