TalkTalk chief focusing on different customers to BT and Sky

TalkTalk's chief executive has vowed to let BT and Sky battle it out over live football rights while the company promotes its new YouView service.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Dido Harding claimed YouView - a subscription-free service that combines linear TV with catch-up and on-demand content - will be "genuinely transformational" for the British television market.

"This is us doing something that is disruptive again," she explained.

"Whilst Sky and BT are trying to outbid each other for Premier League rights, I can focus on a different set of customers."

Her comments come shortly after BT made an unexpected entry into the pay TV football market by agreeing to splash out £246 million per season from 2013/14 to 2015/16 for the rights to broadcast 38 live games each campaign.

Ms Harding said TalkTalk has no intention of rivalling premium TV propositions from the likes of Sky and Virgin Media.

Instead, she claimed YouView could help the company to retain customers that may otherwise have moved their broadband and home phone contracts to their pay TV provider.

YouView set-top boxes will be available from major retailers later this month, priced at £299.