BT share price: Gary Lineker joins BT Sport’s Champions League pundit team

BT Group Plc (LON:BT.A) has inked a deal with BBC’s Match of the Day host Gary Lineker that will see the star presenter join BT Sport’s line-up for the next three seasons of Champions League coverage, according to media reports.

It is understood that Lineker has signed a new deal with the BBC, which would allow him to work for other companies alongside his role at the BBC in exchange for a pay cut.
The latest addition to the presenting team is expected to be announced at BT’s June 9 media briefing.
BT Sport also announced today that it had agreed a new four-year deal with Jake Humphrey that will see the host continue his work on Premier League and FA Cup matches while also extending his role to include presenting the CL and Europa League games.
BT’s share price had gained 0.69 percent to 446.60p as of 14:22 BST today. The company’s stock has climbed more than 11 percent year-to-date, logging its all-time high of 472.85p last month.
BT paid £897 million in November 2013 to secure the rights to broadcast live matches from the two UEFA club competitions for the next three seasons.
The broadcaster is expected to charge viewers about £5 per month for access to a separate channel that will air live CL and Europa League games. The company might also offer the channel for free to broadband subscribers in a bid to poach customers from rivals Sky and Virgin Media, analysts argue.
The details of the retail offer will be announced at the June 9 press conference.
As of 14:54 BST, Wednesday, 03 June, BT Group plc share price is 447.05p.