Spurs and Wales hero Gareth Bale has signed up to become a BT Ambassador. He will feature in TV adverts for the new BT Sport channels as well as regularly appearing as a guest.

Bale, 23, currently the hottest name in the Barclays Premier League, will be at the forefront of BT’s marketing campaigns to promote BT Sport, which will show 38 live Premier League games a season for three years starting in August 2013.The Welsh wingman, has been in the form of his life recently having already scored 25 goals in all competitions this season, has built on his relationship with BT by agreeing to act as an ambassador for the next three years. Bale starred in BT’s TV ads in 2010 when the company started selling Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 to its customers.

He has also helped to promote the Life’s a Pitch football website. Recently, he exclusively revealed to the BT site that he believes he is playing the best football of his life this season.

Gareth said: “I am delighted to continue my relationship with BT by becoming a BT Ambassador. I feel honoured to join an exciting band of inspirational sporting figures, which has included Olympic heroes like the Brownlee brothers and Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock.

“A great deal has changed in my football career since my first partnership with BT, and I am happy to extend that relationship for the next three years. I am excited about the launch of BT Sport and I am happy to play my part in making it a big hit.”

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “We are thrilled that Gareth has agreed to feature in our TV adverts and some BT Sport programmes, as well as becoming a BT Ambassador. He has developed into one of the most-admired and coveted players in the Barclays Premier League in recent years. He is also an inspiring role model for young sports fans, who remains dedicated and focused on developing his considerable talent. We are delighted that we’ve managed to do what dozens of top football managers would like to do – sign Bale.”

As well as the rights to show 38 live games a season from the Barclays Premier League, including 18 of the top picks, BT Sport has also secured the rights to live top tier matches from Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, Brasileiro in Brazil and Major League Soccer in the USA.

And BT’s acquisition of ESPN’s TV channels business in the UK and Ireland will bring the rights to show live games for the FA Cup, Scottish Premier League, Europa League and the German Bundesliga.

BT Sport will also show up to 69 live rugby union games a season from the Aviva Premiership.

In addition, BT has signed a deal with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to show up to 800 hours of live tennis, including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships.

The BT Sport channels will be based at the iCITY development at the Queen Elizabeth Park in Stratford. The company has opened a pre-registration site for customers to register their interest in BT Sport at www.btsport.com

Enquiries about this news release should be made to Aiken PR

02890663000

Paul McCarthy paul@aikenpr.com

Lyn Sheridan lyn@aikenpr.com

All news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre

BT Sport – Announcements to date

Offering

Football

• For the next three seasons, from August 2013, BT Sport has exclusive rights to 38 live Barclays Premier League games.• These include the first game of the season and Saturday lunch-time kick-offs.

World Football

• BT Sport has exclusive access to hundreds of live games from the top leagues in Italy, France and Brazil, meaning that you can watch the likes of Mario Balotelli, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar in league games only on BT Sport.

ESPN

• BT Group has aquired ESPN’s UK and Ireland television channels business• BT will continue to broadcast at least one ESPN-branded channel and BT Sport customers will be able to enjoy live coverage of the 2013/14 FA Cup, plus Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League, UEFA Europa League, German Bundesliga and US sports including NCAA College Basketball, NCAA College Football and NASCAR.

Rugby

• BT Sport will give you access to exclusive live rugby from the Aviva Premiership and the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Sevens, from the 2013-2014 season.• The same goes for matches played by Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs in any future European competitions from the following season.

Tennis

• BT Sport will be showing up to 800 hours per year of live tennis, from 21 tournaments, featuring the best women players in the world.• This unique deal with the Women's Tennis Association includes the season ending showpiece WTA Championships.

Talent

• Clare Balding will host a weekly sports show.• Jake Humphrey will anchor BT Sport’s Barclays Premier League coverage• Lawrence Dallaglio will be leading coverage on rugby union

About BT

BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries.  Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services.  BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.

In the year ended 31 March 2012, BT Group’s revenue was £18,897m with profit before taxation of £2,445m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.  BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com