BT rage at Sky’s false advertising

THE Premier League season is less than a month old but already BT Sport are protesting about the dirty tricks of arch-rivals Sky.

The Chelsea v Arsenal match on September 19 is one of BT’s marquee live games this month but fellow pay-TV network Sky have advertised it as part of their portfolio.

Sky used perimeter advertising during their opening-weekend Championship coverage of Brighton v Nottingham Forest to promote the London derby as an upcoming attraction.

BT Sport, who took screen grabs of the false advertising, are understood to be complaining at the highest level to Sky and the Premier League. A Sky spokesman said: ‘It was a mistake that was quickly rectified and the Premier League are comfortable with our explanation.’

BT have also highlighted that Sky promoted their live text coverage of Celtic’s defeat by Malmo in Champions League qualifying when BT again had the TV rights to the game.

Sky said: ‘It is common practice for websites to give updates of matches when they are non-rights-holders.’

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BBC’s excellent coverage of the athletics World Championships bodes well for their Olympic broadcasts next year. However, the presentation of England’s triumph in the EuroHockey Championships, also on the Beeb, by four-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent (above) was embarrassing to watch. If Pinsent is still part of the BBC’s plans for Rio 2016, he should stick to rowing. CARLOS NuzMAN, president of the Rio 2016 organising committee, gave an upbeat update yesterday on preparations for the Olympics — even concerning the problematic water quality.

Nuzman was less buoyant about the metro extension linking Rio with the Barra Olympic Park being ready. Construction is at 75 per cent and the projected completion in May or June is perilously close to the start of the Games.

Nuzman was quick to mention that the new line — crucial to alleviating the road transport chaos that affected England’s journey from hotel to training ground at the World Cup — was not in their bid, but a legacy project.

Meanwhile, Olympic football success is the No 1 Games wish of the Brazilian public after that 7-1 World Cup defeat by Germany — making it even more of a shame GB will not be represented in the tournament.

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is departing FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s distrust of anything British that it is surprising to find in his Zurich office former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Courage — featuring studies of Robert Kennedy, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King — alongside a book about Pele.