BT says broadband customers will continue to enjoy its three BT Sport channels free of charge for at least another season.
The channels are available free via smartphone and tablet apps, and to BT TV users and Sky viewers who have BT broadband.
Sky subscribers who don’t use BT broadband can subscribe to the channels directly from the ISP for £12 per month.
Virgin Media customers can receive the channels as part of the firm’s XL pack or add them to a lower tier package while Plusnet customers can add them to their Sky box for £5.99pm.
Since the channels launched last August, BT’s retail division has enjoyed two of its most successful quarters in recent years with sign-up rates rising and a sharp drop in customer losses.
News that the channels would remain free for at least another year came as the the broadcaster revealed that they’re now received by around five million homes.
Approximately three million of these get the channels directly from BT with the remainder receiving the channels through its wholesale deals with Virgin Media and Plusnet. The figures exclude commercial deals with pubs and clubs.
BT also announced that it has more than 1 million subscribers to its BT TV service, the majority of which take the sport channels.
The broadcaster claimed to have made “a strong debut” in its first first season with audiences of “more than a million homes” for some of its Barclays Premier League and FA Cup matches.
Viewers have also enjoyed exclusive live coverage of Aviva Rugby Premiership contests, Moto GP races and UFC bouts, plus women’s tennis and football.
BT Sport’s rugby coverage will be boosted this year after it and rival Sky agreed to split the broadcast rights to the new European Rugby Champions Cup tournament. The company promised its first picks of English clubs would deliver “a terrific selection of matches” for fans.
John Petter, BT Consumer chief executive said: “Fans have been the winners with BT Sport. Millions of homes have enjoyed the very best sporting action for free. We said we would shake up the market and we have done just that.
“The great news for fans is that BT Sport will remain free with BT Broadband for another season, during which we will broadcast live action from the new European rugby tournaments. There has never been a better time to switch to BT Broadband so I would encourage sports fans to sign up.”