Vodafone has been in talks with UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB over how to combat the growing threat of fixed operator BT in the areas of content and broadband, according to The Sunday Times.

Vodafone has made BSkyB’s sports coverage, with football in particular, a key attraction of its 4G package but last year saw BT successfully bid for exclusive coverage in the UK of UEFA Champions League and Europa League football matches from 2015.

BT is using sports to promote its fixed broadband service but also holds spectrum it purchased in an auction a year ago, which positions it to offer a content-driven mobile service.

Vodafone has majored on content, including Sky Sports and Spotify, as a draw for its 4G service in the UK, in contrast to rivals such as EE which have pushed speed and coverage.

The operator’s package gives access to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 which includes Premier League and Champions League, as well as golf, cricket, rugby and tennis.

The Sunday Times said Vodafone and Sky discussed further deals around sports and movie content as well as collaborating on a high-speed broadband service. However, they are not looking at jointly building a nationwide fibre network.