EE and BT Sport launch ‘New Signing’ campaign for BSL sports commentators

The mobile network EE and broadcaster BT Sport have joined forces on a new project which will see two British Sign Language (BSL) users trained to provide BSL commentary for sporting events next year.

The pair selected for New Signing, which has been described as a “first-of-its-kind opportunity”, will provide coverage of fixtures such as the UEFA Champions League Final and the FA Disability Cup.

Pete Jeavons, marketing communications director at BT and, EE said: “Our New Signing partnership with BT Sport will not only make key BT Sport programming more accessible, but provide a unique opportunity for two BSL experts to develop their careers in sport broadcast.”

The news also comes as BT Sport looks to launch a new BSL series on deaf and hard of hearing sports fans, and increase its subtitled sports content by more than 100 hours a month.

England international deaf footballer Will Palmer added: “It’s massive that EE and BT Sport are providing this opportunity for BSL signers to feature so prominently in their football coverage. This will be a big step for the deaf football community and I am really excited to see the New Signing pundits in position over the coming months.

“During the making of the New Signing advert it was a great experience to meet the England senior players and to teach them some BSL words and terms. We spoke about the importance of communication and inclusion within football, and I am proud that we have been able to launch the New Signing initiative together.”

The project has also been praised by deaf charities, with Rebecca Mansell of the British Deaf Association saying EE and BT have “set a brilliant example of what it means to successfully collaborate effectively with the Deaf community”.

“We look forward to collaborating further with EE and BT Sport to protect, preserve and promote British Sign Language for generations to come,” she said.

Amanda Casson-Webb, joint chief executive of the Royal Association of the Deaf (RAD), said: “RAD’s vision is a future of opportunity, achievement and equality for deaf people. We are passionate about collaborating with organisations that share our aspiration – and are proud to have partnered [with] BT Sport on ‘New Signing’, a project that we welcome as a real step-change for the Deaf Community.

“We look forward to seeing more deaf talent and BSL commentary on mainstream TV.”

Meanwhile, the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), applauded the initiative and said it was “thrilled” that New Signing will lead to “thousands of Deaf football fans being able to watch and engage with the ‘beautiful game’”.

Anyone interested about New Signing or applying for the opportunity can find out more on BT Sport’s website.

Photo: EE and BT Sport.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.