BT pay TV to go live without Beeb on board

BT's first foray into IPTV is set to launch this December, despite a promised autumn launch.

BT is yet to detail how the service will be priced but users are likely to need a set-top box as well as a broadband subscription from BT. Users will be able to browse all the Freeview channels as well as pick up on-demand programming from BT's suppliers. Customers won't, however, have to pay an additional subscription for telly services.

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Among those who have signed content deals with the telco are MTV, Paramount, Sony and Universal. BT has also won the rights to show Premiership football.

However, on-demand content from the BBC will not be available at launch, as Auntie has yet to agree terms with its regulator, the BBC Trust.

The number of European households with access to digital television signals on their main TV set is expected to quadruple over the next four years to around 44.9 million, according to research from analysts Informa Telcoms and Media.