BT has been pushing to become the destination for sports, fighting back against the BBC and Sky for rights and coverage of some of the biggest sporting competitions.
One of the first steps was launching BT Sport 4K UHD in 2015, which BT Sport Ultimate now replaces. The big difference is that the new channel not only offers those 4K resolutions, but also high-dynamic range – HDR – for those customers with compatible TVs.
Adding to the mix, BT Sport Ultimate is also going to offer Dolby Atmos sound to BT TV customers, giving you a more immersive audio experience too – and something that other platforms won’t get, but again, you’ll need the hardware to deliver that audio.
What will I need to watch BT Sport Ultimate?
The new channel aims to deliver content at the highest quality it can no matter the platform that you are watching it on. The best will be on your TV and you’ll need a 4K HDR television to be able to see the action.
If you’re a BT TV customer, you’ll need the BT Ultra HD YouView box to deliver it and if you want the Dolby Atmos sound, you’ll need an Atmos compatible TV, soundbar or receiver.
But BT Sport Ultimate also aims to deliver a boosted experience to those using smartphones and tablets, up to the capabilities of those devices. If you have an HDR compatible phone, for example, BT Sport Ultimate should be able to push that picture quality higher.
BT Sport Ultimate will be available to 5G EE customers first, before rolling-out to 4G monthly customers, app users or those watching via Sky. Once it does, Ultimate will be available to those app users on Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, smart TV, Android and iOS.
What will be on BT Sport Ultimate?
The line-up of programming for BT Sport Ultimate includes a lot of Premier League football. BT Sport will be showing 52 matches and it says that “the majority” of these matches will be on BT Sport Ultimate.
There will also be Champions League and Europa League matches shown in the channel, amongst other content.
BT also has the rights to Moto GP, Rugby Aviva Premiership and the Ashes in 2020 – but we don’t know what will be showing on Ultimate.
How do I get BT Sport Ultimate?
If you’re a BT Sport customer with BT TV and have BT Sport 4K UHD then you already have it. Just head to channel 433 that used to host BT Sport 4K UHD and BT Ultimate is already there, ready to deliver the goods.
If not, BT has a full range of BT TV packages and BT Sport Ultimate is included in the Max 4K TV package.
BT has said that 5G EE mobile customers – who get free access to BT Sport – will have first, before it rolls-out to 4G customers.
Virgin Media offers TV access to BT Sport Ultimate. For Virgin Media customers you’ll find it on channel 531, but you’ll need to subscribe to BT Sport as part of your package.
For those on Sky, you can access BT Sport and you’ll have to do this via the BT website. BT says that Ultimate is coming soon, but there’s no precise details.
If you just want to access BT Sport via the app – with BT promising you’ll get the best experience that your phone or tablet offers – you also have that option.
