BT scores Euro 2028 deal, enhances services

• BT has been named the official telco partner of the 2028 Euros
• It has also unveiled a new brand campaign, ‘Behind Brilliant Things’
• Just as importantly, BT unveiled a range of enhanced cybersecurity services and new mobile offers, including the reintroduction of the BT Mobile brand 

BT has been named as the official telco partner to the UEFA Euro 2028 football (soccer) tournament that will take place in the UK and Ireland in a couple of years’ time and has coupled the announcement of that role with the launch of a new brand campaign, Behind Brilliant Things. 

That new campaign aims to highlight the “vital, but often unseen, role BT plays for the UK”, from “running the emergency services network and helping answer 999 calls, to protecting customers from more than 4 million scam attempts every single day”, as well as providing the digital infrastructure and services that support a logistically challenging event, such as a major sporting tournament.  

For the Euros, BT will “power every part of this international football tournament: From connectivity at nine stadiums and 24 team base camps, to the complex broadcast operations that will connect a global audience of over 2 billion fans worldwide.” 

No doubt BT’s chief security and networks officer, Greg McCall, will be keeping a close eye on how Verizon performs as the official telecom partner of this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, which takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico. 

BT CEO Allison Kirkby stated: “UEFA Euro 2028 is a perfect example of a brilliant moment that BT sits behind. It will be an event of national significance that will connect the UK and a global community of fans, leveraging the unique strength of BT’s networks and technologies to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans, customers and the country.”

Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, believes BT’s new campaign is a “noble effort to stay relevant in a market where connectivity is no longer just about coverage but resilience, scale and trust. The challenge now is execution – ambition is one thing, but proving the network can support real-world demand at scale is what will ultimately determine success. This is where the real scrutiny begins. The strategy sounds compelling on paper, but there has been a longstanding challenge around execution and consistently delivering against bold promises.” 

And addressing the Euros role specifically, Pescatore added: “Brand matters, but it is only one part of a far bigger vision: Reconnecting with users, households and businesses. The UEFA Euro 2028 deal is a major proof point – a platform to show scale, relevance and delivery,” and one that will get noticed, as “sport is one of the few things that can still unite a nation. It cuts through, creates shared moments and builds the kind of emotional attachment that few other platforms can match,” noted the analyst. 

Service enhancements

Today’s news from BT is not just about branding and support for sporting events – the national UK operator is also introducing a suite of upgraded products and services, with a particular focus on customer security and bundled mobile services. 

BT is introducing “free enhanced cyber threat protection for every residential broadband customer,” something that should be attractive to the mass market, given that a shocking 4 million UK citizens fell victim to digital scams in 2025, according to BT’s stats.   

In addition, BT is now offering a “next-generation BT Smart Hub 3 Wi-Fi” home router, designed to keep customers “connected in all corners of the home” (incredibly, still a challenge in 2026), and a “redesigned MyBT app, making managing their services even easier.”

And, as expected, the operator is reintroducing the BT Mobile brand, three years after it was put on ice, though the move means the telco will now be presenting its mobile services using its main corporate brand, BT, and its main consumer services brand, EE. “With more customers seeing the benefits of bundling services, the company is also introducing a new line-up of BT Mobile plans exclusively for its broadband customers,” BT announced.

Industry analyst Kester Mann, director of consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, believes this could be the start of a broader reintroduction of the revitalised brand, noting that “the new BT Mobile service will target existing broadband customers with a strong affinity to the BT brand but who take their mobile service from another provider. In this sense, its focus is limited, but it may prove to be the first step toward a more assertive push further down the line.”

He added: “A leading pillar of the new BT Mobile service is trust. This aligns with a broader company strategy based on resilience, security and reliability. It will likely form an important part of its marketing, which will appeal to BT brand loyalists and older demographics. Details on pricing have yet to be shared, but the offer doesn’t appear to be a direct response to the rise of virtual providers and sub-brands that are rapidly taking share in the entry part of the market. According to FDM/CCS Insight data, customers using virtual providers surged by 10% last year and now account for more than a fifth of the market.” 

Mann also noted that BT is not alone in positioning its services using different brands for different customer types. “The multi-brand approach is now the clear preference for UK telecom providers as they seek to offer different products to different segments. In addition to BT, VodafoneThree runs five consumer brands, while Virgin Media O2 has shown little inclination to move toward a single brand,” stated Mann. 

PP Insight’s Pescatore highlighted the challenge in this approach. “Managing a multi-brand strategy is costly and can be confusing. Mobile is increasingly a price-led market, with a focus on managing the base and attracting switchers with affordable bundles. The wider opportunity is about convergence, which remains the holy grail.”

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV