BT steps up pay-TV battle with European football offer

Barcelona celebrate with the trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League Final. Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's BT raised the stakes in its battle with arch-rival Sky on Tuesday by making European Champions League football matches available for free to its television customers.

The move, after BT outbid Sky to the exclusive UK rights to the competition by paying a record 897 million pounds, is the latest bet by the telecoms firm on using the appeal of football clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich to draw in customers to its TV and broadband packages.