Union Prospect has released a statement saying it is “deeply concerned” at the decision by Warner Bros Discovery to put all BT Sport employees at risk of redundancy.
When the 50:50 joint venture was first announced in May, the two companies said both BT Sport and Eurosport UK would initially retain their separate brands and product propositions in the market before being brought together under a single brand in the future.
Prospect National Secretary John Ferrett described the situation as an “incredibly unsettling settling” time for its members.
“Members who are due to transfer from BT to Warner Bros Discovery in future phases of the joint venture will also rightly be concerned about their future careers with the business,” he added.
“We are fully engaging with Warner Bros Discovery to understand what has led to this about face and why not one single job currently in BT Sport is due to remain under the organisation’s stated restructure.”
A Warner Bros Discovery spokesperson said: “A consultation with representatives of BT Sport employees is underway. This results from the expiry of BT Sport’s lease in Stratford and move to Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) existing facilities, as well as a proposed reorganisation of the business.
“Finding operating efficiencies was envisioned by the BT and WBD JV and is critical to maintaining our competitiveness in a fast-evolving and competitive environment. BT Sport employees have priority for the new roles that have been identified within WBD’s sports organisation and broader business. Given the consultation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
