Being just a fairly small village pub we decided to take BT Sport as Sky was too expensive an option for us. All good until a couple of weeks back when PRS (Performing Right Society) made their annual call to us to assess how much they would charge us for having our juke box and the number of live bands we have had on here for the current year ending September. She asked if we had a TV and I informed her that it was only used for BT Sport's Football matches.
She informed me that there would be an extra charge of £80 per year for showing BT Sport. I stated it was football and nothing to do with music for which PRS are collecting money on behalf of composers and artists in the music industry. Her reply to me was "when a football match is on your customers may be able to hear snippets of music being played in the stadium therefore £80 a year was payable"
I find this both laughable and very annoying. I have listened since when BT Sport is on and have not heard a single note of music coming through. Besides that surely the stadium itself would be paying PRS for music publicly played???
I have spoken to a Customer Services Representative for BT Sport. She had never heard of PRS charging people for BT Sport. She promised me she would speak to someone in her organisation who could answer my question and that I would get a call back. Nothing has happened. I feel strongly enough about this to have BT Sport taken out if, on top of the £86 per month we pay BT Sport we then have to PRS for music which may or may not be vaguely heard.
A reply from BT Sport would be very nice
