BT has held talks with Rupert Murdoch's News UK about a potential partnership for its TV arm, reports The Telegraph citing unnamed City sources.
BT confirmed at end-April that it was involved in early-stage talks with several partners about selling a stake in BT Sport, as it looks to focus on upgrading its broadband network. The sources said that talks with News UK were still at an early stage and may not result in an agreement. Murdoch is understood to be facing stiff competition from global sports streaming platform Dazn, which sources claim has "shown the greatest appetite" for a quick deal.
A deal with BT Sport would allow News UK to expand further beyond its traditional newspaper publishing business. It already owns radio station TalkSport following the acquisition of Wireless Group in 2017. News UK is also working on a new digital news service, after abandoning plans to launch a new rolling broadcast news channel due to the high costs involved. A deal with BT Sport would give it access to a digital distribution network.
