UK ISP BT says it’s the first European network to partner with Google over its Stadia cloud gaming service, which it will bundle with some broadband offers.

The press release features a needless amount of banging on about ‘moving the cloud gaming industry forward’, and ‘initiatives designed to build awareness, access and availability of it in the UK,’ as if cloud gaming is some kind of philanthropic initiative. But the long and short of it is that BT is offering Stadia for free with some bundles for a couple of weeks and then from 7 February will bundle Stadia Premier Edition with special cloud gaming add-ons to some of its fibre packages.

“We continually look to provide our customers with the most exciting products and experiences, and by partnering with Google on Stadia, we’re able to help them push the limits of gaming,” said Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division. “We’re also investing in the UK’s fastest 4G, 5G and fibre networks, so our superfast home broadband service is the perfect accompaniment for those wanting to make the most from this innovative streaming gaming platform.”

“We’re excited to continue our cross-product partnership with BT in the UK to further drive the cloud gaming industry forward,” said Michiel van Eldik, General Manager of Devices & Services at Google EMEA. “BT has an established track record of leading the industry in delivering next-generation services and products to their customers. Through today’s announcement, we are able to make the best gaming content even more accessible, and to continue to change the way people access, play and enjoy their favourite games.”

Exciting times then. BT seems to think gaming is where the smart ISP diversification money is at these days, having recently announced its sponsorship of the Excel Esports team. How excited BT customers will be with all this, however, remains to be seen as initial reviews of Stadia concluded it’s a bit rubbish.