British telecommunications company BT has relaunched its BT TV service for broadband subscribers in the United Kingdom, reversing a decision nearly three years ago to move its television business under the EE brand.
The service came online Wednesday, two weeks after BT announced plans to revive the pay TV product. The relaunch brings television, broadband and mobile services together under the BT consumer brand, although EE TV will continue to serve customers outside the BT-branded offering, the company affirmed.
BT renamed its premium TV service under the EE brand two years ago as part of a broader strategy to position EE as its primary consumer-facing brand for connectivity and entertainment.
The return of BT TV is a change to that approach, with the company now emphasizing TV service as a supplemental part of its broadband product.
For current BT Broadband subscribers who already receive EE TV, the change is largely cosmetic: Customers will retain their existing television packages, monthly prices, channels, subscriptions, recordings and set-top boxes. Those using the EE TV application will be directed toward the BT TV app.
The relaunched service uses the existing YouView television platform and offers two set-top boxes.
The BT TV Box Pro combines streaming applications with traditional television recording features, including the ability to pause and rewind live programming and record more than 600 hours of content. The BT TV Box Edge offers a simpler streaming experience without the Pro model’s recording capabilities. Customers can also add boxes for viewing in multiple rooms.
BT TV packages include access to Comcast’s Now TV, with Sky Sports and Sky Cinema channels available alongside entertainment programming. Customers can choose between Now Entertainment, which includes Sky Originals and selected HBO programming, or Now Entertainment & HBO Max, which provides additional access to HBO Max series.
Other available programming includes TNT Sports, Netflix and TNT Sports content on HBO Max, depending on the subscription package. BT Broadband customers who add BT TV can also receive three months of Apple TV at no additional charge. Subscribers can change their television packages monthly. The platform also includes a search function covering live television, catch-up programming and streaming services, along with a Watch List that allows viewers to save movies and shows for later.
“At BT, we think technology should remove hassle, not add to it,” Matt Hughes, BT’s Marketing and Commercial Director for consumer services, said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve launched BT TV, available to customers from today and completing our connected offering across broadband, TV and mobile.”
Luciano Oliveira, Chief Product Officer of BT Consumer, said the relaunch reflects the growing relationship between broadband connectivity and television distribution.
“Broadband is increasingly what television runs on, and BT TV allows us to bring connectivity and entertainment together as one joined-up experience from a provider millions of households know and trust,” Oliveira wrote in a statement on Thursday.
