BT Sport Snatches Champions League Rights from Sky Sports and ITV

BT Sport has wrestled Champions League television coverage in the UK from Sky Sports and ITV in a sensational £897 million deal.

The three-year deal, which also includes Europa League action, will kick in from the start of the 2015/16 season and ends coverage of the tournament in the UK on terrestrial television.

"

We're absolutely delighted to announce that we have won rights to live UEFA Champions League games from 2015-2018 #btsport #UCL

— BT Sport (@btsport) November 9, 2013"

In a statement released on its website, BT Sports confirmed some games, along with the final, will be shown free to air.

As part of the statement, BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said:

"

I am thrilled that BT Sport will be the only place where fans can enjoy all the live action from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Both tournaments are world class and firm favourites with many. The live rights will give a major boost to BT Sport and give people yet another reason to take our terrific service.

"

As the BBC chief sports correspondent Dan Roan revealed, the new contract is worth more than double the current arrangement.

BT Sport announced itself on the UK television scene by grabbing a share of the Premier League rights and has added other sports and events to its schedule.

Sky said in a statement, picked up by the Telegraph's Ben Rumsby, that it took a "disciplined approach and there is always a level at which we will choose to focus on something else. If we thought it was worth more, we'd have paid more."

Despite the statement suggesting BT has overpaid, the news will come as a huge blow to Sky.

Jason Burt of the Telegraph stated: "If BT taking a package of Premier League matches—and gaining crucial first-picks for 18 games—was a shot across Sky's bows then this is a full-on attack. A declaration of war."