COVERAGE of live sport on subscription television continues to grow and grow as more and more of our terrestrial channels struggle to keep hold of their traditional events.

Sky TV have been around for many years now but the growth of BT Sport has even eclipsed them in some bidding wars – so much so that they now almost exclusively have the rights to the Champions League football.

Not that Uefa seem too impressed about it. They willingly took the huge sum BT Sport laid on the table at the last rights’ selection but I bet they are regretting that now.

I cannot see how an organisation like Uefa will be happy with the poorer viewing figures, after all they sell deals to sponsors on the premise they will get maximum exposure.

I doubt that will be reaping any rewards.

When I’m not at a game, I love watching any football on TV but after the rising costs involved with Sky in recent years I decided enough was enough.

I may be cutting my nose off to spite my face but where does it end?

We have had Setanta and ESPN before and now BT Sport. Okay, so some BT customers – like my parents – get the channels free as part of their home phone and broadband deal and why not if it’s there.

But when I do get chance to watch it while visiting them, I realise my money is best left in the bank.

Dull commentary from the likes of Michael Owen, Glenn Hoddle and Owen Hargeaves is bad enough but do we really need Howard Webb’s view on every refereeing decision?

It is like pulling teeth at times and now the infection is spreading beyond football.

Watching the BDO darts from Lakeside used to be part of my evening’s viewing in January but this year, without BT Sport, I missed it in the daytime on Channel Four.

There wasn’t even a ‘darts extra’ into the early hours like when it was on BBC for insomniacs like yours truly.

With some Test cricket switching from Sky recently as well, BT Sport look to be trying to take over the sporting world.

But I have a warning for them. After all the money spent on securing these rights for the best competitions in the world, you ultimately need viewers to buy into it.

And when the standard of commentary includes such insights from Owen like: “If they don’t score, they hardly ever win” then I’m afraid more, like me, are likely to turn off than tune in.

Bring back Grandstand and World of Sport I say – now they had it right.