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Sky Sports, BT Sport no live sport but no refund

March 16, 2020

Despite the hefty cost of premium sports subscriptions, both Sky Sports and BT Sport have indicated that they will not be offering refunds following the suspension of all football in the UK – as well a number of other high-profile sporting leagues around the globe.

A typical Sky TV subscription including a sports package begins at around £40 (€44) a month, whilst the cheapest BT Sport package costs £25 a month.

In a statement, Sky Sports said: “[we are] working closely with all our partners to ensure we continue to deliver for all our customers as the threat of coronavirus continues to affect the sporting calendar. Sky Sports expects to be able to show sporting events which have been postponed, not cancelled, when they are rescheduled.”

Meanwhile, a BT Sport spokesman said: “We apologise to customers about the changes to the BT Sport schedule this month due to the impact of Covid-19. The situation is evolving rapidly and we are working with the leagues to continue to broadcast live sport wherever possible and broadcast games when they are rescheduled over the coming months.

The statement added: “We will continue to broadcast a wide range of BT Sport content including films and documentaries and we will update our customers as we have a clearer view of the remainder of the season. Therefore, our live schedule is likely to look different for a period of time. As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates to all of our customers.”

As well as the Premier League being suspended, the likes of F1, Test cricket, Six Nations rugby, golf and tennis tournaments have also all been postponed. Meanwhile high-profile US sporting leagues including the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS have all been placed on hiatus, whilst the March Madness college basketball tournament has been cancelled altogether.

EDIT: Since this story was published, Sky has changed its stance.

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