TNT Sports 4
TNT Sports 4 is a British sports television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and the BT Group. It is part of the TNT Sports group of channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and is predominantly focused on sports from North America.
Country
United Kingdom
Ireland
3 August 2009
ESPN UK (2009–15)
BT Sport ESPN (2015–22)
BT Sport 4 (2022-23)
Watch live (UK only)
Watch live (UK only)
Watch live (Ireland only)
The channel was established by ESPN Inc. on August 3, 2009 as ESPN (or ESPN UK), after having acquired a share of rights to English Premier League. It served as ESPN's first UK channel devoted to domestic sport, as its pan-European sister networks ESPN Classic and ESPN America were devoted to archive content and North American sport respectively. Alongside the Premier League, the channel acquired shares of the rights to the FA Cup, Scottish Premier League, Premiership Rugby, and UEFA Europa League among other properties. The channel also carried coverage of sport from the United States (such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, and U.S. college sports, some of which carried over from ESPN America), and ESPN original programmes.
In 2012, ESPN began losing many of its signature sport properties (including the Premier League) to BT Group and its forthcoming BT Sport service. On 25 February 2013, ESPN announced that it would exit the UK and Ireland market and sell its television operations to BT Group, which integrated the network into BT Sport upon its launch that August. The channel continued to operate under the ESPN name under licence, and was later co-branded as BT Sport ESPN. In 2015, BT Group reached a long-term deal with ESPN International to continue holding British rights to ESPN-owned sports rights and original programmes.
In August 2022, ahead of the joint venture of BT Sport with Warner Bros. Discovery, the channel dropped the ESPN branding and was rebranded as BT Sport 4, with no change in programmes. It was further rebranded TNT Sports 4 on 18 July 2023 as part of a rebranding of all BT Sport channels and this saw a significant reduction in coverage of American sport shown following the rebrand with NCAA action currently no longer being shown. Therefore, TNT Sports 4's emphasis on American sport ended at this point.
Availability[edit]
Before August 2013[edit]
A carriage and retail agreement for both residential and commercial customers was struck with British Sky Broadcasting, who sold the channel through their Sky platform.[13] British Sky Broadcasting's Sky Media also acted as ad sales house for the channel.[14] Some events were also transmitted on Sky 3D including the Winter X Games XV, 2011 FA Cup Final and 2011 NBA Finals.[15][16][17] From 22 July 2011 ESPN was available without additional charge to full Sky Sports Pack subscribers in Ireland.[18]
ESPN is available on Virgin Media in standard and high definition as a part of the XL pack. M, M+ or L pack customers can subscribe to ESPN and BT Sport. A discount was previously available to Sky Sports subscribers.[19] After the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport on 1 August 2013, Virgin Media customers lost access to ESPN channels, despite Virgin Media and BT being in talks for more than 2 months prior to the switch over.[20] ESPN and ESPN HD returned on 15 August after BT signed a wholesale deal with Virgin Media for the carriage of BT Sport.[21]
Top Up TV carried ESPN from 4 August 2009. A connection fee applied to non-Top Up TV subscribers, ex-Setanta digital terrestrial television customers or those without a viewing card.[22][23] On 26 July 2011 Top Up TV announced that ESPN would be available via a conditional-access module (CAM) when the CAM service was launched in August.[24]
BT Vision has carried ESPN from 4 August 2009 as part of BT Vision's Value Packs (Bronze, Silver and Gold).[25][26]
On both BT Vision and Top Up TV, ESPN broadcasts from 14:00 – 04:00 on weekdays, 11:00 – 06:00 on Saturday and 11:00 – 04:00 on Sunday.[27]
TalkTalk TV (then known as Tiscali TV) carried ESPN from 14 August 2009, along with ESPN America.[28]
ESPN was available on Smallworld Cable without additional charge when taken with the Ultimate HD TV Pack. Other customers can subscribe to ESPN.[29]
On 14 August 2009, a deal with cable company UPC Ireland and ESPN was reached. On that date ESPN and ESPN HD launched on UPC.[30] A discount is available to Sky Sports or Setanta Sports 1 subscribers. ESPN America ceased to be part of the Setanta Sports package on that date, and was bundled with ESPN instead. On 4 January 2010, UPC and ESPN announced a new deal whereby ESPN (including its HD counterpart) and ESPN America would become part of UPC's Digital Select Extra and Digital Max packages.[31]
ESPN offered a number of free periods, ranging between a weekend and a month.[32][33] In February 2012 a free weekend covered a Premier League match between Manchester City and Fulham, marking the first time that a Premier League fixture had been broadcast free-to-air in the UK.[34] During the same weekend the channel was also available on TVCatchup.[35]
From August 2013[edit]
After ESPN's acquisition by BT Group in 2013, BT have included ESPN as part of their BT Sport Pack and is available on Sky, Virgin Media, and BT TV, as well as online via the BT Sport website and BT Sport app. BT Sport 4 was also available in the Republic of Ireland through eir Sport.