It allows Sky, which already licences its sports channels to rival broadcasters, to keep its content behind a paywall and open its Premier League coverage, which is normally reserved for Sky Sports customers, to all of its TV subscribers. La Liga, MLS, FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers will also be shown, as well as a select number of Football League matches.

BT has made it hard for Sky in recent years, after it secured Premier League, Champions League and Europa Cup rights and began bundling its channels with its broadband packages. However, the provider is required to show some European games for free to meet UEFA requirements. Sky's new channel will host some of the 126 live Premier League games it bagged for almost £4.2 billion over the next three seasons.

"With Sky Sports Mix, we are giving millions more people access to great moments from some of the world's biggest sporting events at no extra cost," says Sky Sports Managing Director, Barney Francis. "It is a fantastic way for all Sky customers to be able to enjoy some of the great content that has made Sky Sports the first choice for sport."