BT announces production home for new sports channels

Telecommunications giant BT has selected iCITY and the north end of the former London Olympics International Broadcast Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as the home of its much-anticipated BT Sport channels, which are due to go live next summer.

BT has agreed to terms for a 10-year lease with iCITY to be the anchor tenant of the former IBC in a move that it says will give rise to ‘opportunities and employment’ for the surrounding area. The iCITY project is intended to yield a world-leading technology hub that will capitalise on East London’s digital and creative industries, and help drive economic growth across the capital and beyond.

As part of its plans for the site, BT will carry out building work from 1 February to create three TV studios, a control centre, 20 edit suites and an audience holding area. In addition to providing a production hub for all BT sports content, a number of programmes will be hosted from the new studios. Some features and programming will be filmed at the BT Tower in central London.

Ian Livingston, chief executive of BT, comments: “BT is leading the way to secure the Olympic sporting legacy for the community. We see this as a natural continuation of our role as official communications services partner for London 2012. BT Sport will be a visible and engaged partner for the community and the studio will be a reminder of the incredible sporting feats we witnessed during the Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympic Park will be an iconic sporting backdrop for BT Sport. We want to create jobs in the area and to explore sporting links with local schools as well as looking at how we can offer our production facilities to other companies.”

Look out for an extended report about BT Sport’s new production home on SVG Europe later this week.