BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flagship analysis programmes such as Match of the Day, Test Match Special, Ski Sunday and Today at Wimbledon. Results, analysis and coverage is also added to the BBC Sport website and through the BBC Red Button interactive television service.
History
The BBC has broadcast sport for several decades under individual programme names and coverage titles. Grandstand was one of the more notable sport programmes, broadcasting sport for almost 50 years. The BBC first began to brand sport coverage as 'BBC Sport' in 1988 for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, by introducing the programme with a short animation of a globe circumnavigated by four coloured rings. This practice continued throughout the next two decades. Upon the launch of the BBC News website in 1997, sport was included in the BBC's online presence for the first time.In May 2007, the BBC Trust approved plans for several BBC departments, including BBC Sport, to be moved to a new development in Salford. The new development at MediaCityUK marks a major decentralisation of BBC departments from London and a key investment in the north of England where BBC spending in the region had previously been low. The department moved into Quay House, MediaCityUK gradually in late 2011 and early 2012 with the first Sports bulletins being broadcast from the new BBC Sport Centre on 5 March 2012.
In 2017, BBC Sport launched a new on-air identity, becoming the first BBC property to implement the broadcaster's new corporate typeface.
Summary of programming
Football
The BBC shares the rights to the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship with ITV. A near equal split of group stage and knockout stage games are shown, including a semi-final and the final is shown on both networks. The BBC aired all its matches from the 2018 World Cup in 4K UHD and VR to a limited number of viewers subject to bandwidth.The BBC shows highlights of the Premier League on Match of the Day which is hosted by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, and Gabby Logan. Match of the Day 2 and Match of the Day 2 Extra, are presented by Mark Chapman. Alex Scott hosts Football Focus every Saturday lunchtime before Jason Mohammad presents Final Score every Saturday afternoon. Pundits for Match of the Day as well as co-commentators include Alan Shearer, Robbie Savage, Chris Sutton, Don Hutchison, Mark Lawrenson, Danny Murphy, Kevin Kilbane, Jermaine Jenas, Martin Keown, Stephen Warnock, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Alex Scott, Faye White, Sue Smith, Lucy Ward, Chris Waddle, Cese Fabregas, Ian Wright and Tony Pulis while commentators include Guy Mowbray, Steve Wilson, Jonathan Pearce, Simon Brotherton, Steve Bower, Dave Woods, Vicki Sparks, Jacqui Oatley, Alistair Mann, Conor McNamara, Dan O'Hagan, Mark Tompkins, Martin Fisher, Gary Bloom, John Roder, Mark Scott, Chris Wise, Robyn Cowen, Tom Gayle, Steven Wyeth and Pien Muelensteen.
The BBC also broadcasts live coverage of the FA Cup and will do so until 2026.
Cricket
On 30 June 2017 it was announced that live cricket would be returning to BBC TV for the first time in 21 years. The BBC has rights to highlights of all England's home Tests, ODIs and T20Is until 2028. They also have live broadcasts of eight men's and eight women's matches from The Hundred. Today At The Test, the BBC's Test cricket highlights programme is presented by Isa Guha alongside commentators, Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Alastair Cook and James Anderson. Jonathan Agnew and Alison Mitchell also contributed to commentary as well as, presenter, Isa Guha. Regularly, a guest co-commentator will join the team from the touring side. Between 2020 and 2024, the BBC showed live coverage of two England men's and two England women's T20 internationals on an annual basis. On 30 August 2020, the BBC broadcast the second England vs Pakistan Twenty20 International, its first live cricket broadcast for 21 years.Tennis
BBC Sport currently holds the rights to broadcast the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and the Queen's Club Championships live on its television platforms. The Wimbledon contract has been held by the BBC since 1927 and the current contract lasts until 2024 making it the longest such contract in the world. The BBC produce over 900 hours of footage that is distributed to broadcasters in 159 countries. BBC Wimbledon coverage features a host of former ex-professional players including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin and Tim Henman. Matches are broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Two, the Red Button, or Online via the BBC Sport website. Highlights are also shown on the long-running Today at Wimbledon, presented by Clare Balding, who replaced John Inverdale in 2015. The same year, the programme was renamed "Wimbledon 2day", with a new lighthearted magazine format, but after only one year, the format was abandoned for 2016.Following the trial which commenced with 2018 World Cup, the BBC broadcast all Centre Court matches from the 2018 Wimbledon Championships in 4K UHD via iPlayer.
For the most recent tournament in 2021, the commentators included, Chris Bradnam, James Burridge, Andrew Castle, Matt Chilton, Andrew Cotter, Katherine Downes, Paul Hand, John Inverdale, David Law, Nick Lester, Dan Lobb, Alison Mitchell, Ronald McIntosh, Nick Mullins, Pete Odgers, Mark Petchey, Simon Reed, Sam Smith and Andy Stevenson. Co-commentators included, Tracy Austin, Marion Bartoli, Boris Becker, Pat Cash, Annabel Croft, Colin Fleming, Peter Fleming, Tim Henman, Anne Keothavong, John Lloyd, Miles Maclagan, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Arvind Parmar, Louise Pleming, Chanda Rubin, Liz Smylie and Mel South. Lee McKenzie, Rishi Persad, John Inverdale and Simon Mundie were the reporters. Regular tournament weather updates are provided by Carol Kirkwood.
The BBC also broadcasts two traditional Grass warm up events in the fortnight before the Wimbledon Championships. First is the AEGON Championships from Queen's Club, which takes place two weeks before Wimbledon. The BBC has covered the tournament since 1979 and has a contract in place until 2024. The following week is the WTA AEGON International event from Eastbourne. Both events are primarily shown on BBC Two.
The BBC holds rights to show daily TV highlights from the Australian Open. Coverage is presented by Sue Barker with commentary from Andrew Castle and John Lloyd.
The BBC has exclusive free to air TV rights for 8 singles matches from the ATP World Tour Finals which includes the semi-final and the final. The BBC covered the event originally between 2009 and 2011, followed by an extension for 2012 and 2013. This was extended again in 2013 through to 2015. It was extended again in 2016 for another 2 years before another deal was announced in 2017 and will run until 2020, with Sky Sports, showing one afternoon match per day including one semi-final and the final which are usually shown on BBC Two.
BBC Radio covers the four Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open - on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. For most recent Wimbledon tournament in 2021, Gigi Salmon and Tony Livesey hosted full coverage on Radio 5 Live, with expert analysis from Marion Bartoli, Pat Cash, Laura Robson, Leon Smith, Chanda Rubin, Annabel Croft, Miles Maclagan, Mark Woodforde and Jeff Tarango. The team of commentators is led by the BBC's tennis correspondent, Russell Fuller, along with Gigi Salmon, David Law, Naomi Cavaday, Jonathan Overend, Iain Carter, Alison Mitchell and Sara Orchard. For other grand slam tournaments, Russell Fuller, David Law and Gigi Salmon are the commentators. For the select few ATP Tour Masters 1000 events that BBC Radio cover, Russell Fuller is usually the sole commentator.
Rugby union
The BBC holds joint rights to the Six Nations championship in the UK with ITV Sport until 2029. The BBC show all Scotland and Wales home matches plus 1 further match from either France, Ireland or Italy which features either Scotland or Wales live. Coverage of these games is complemented by an interactive service on BBC Red Button and Radio commentary on all matches. The BBC held the live rights to the Autumn Internationals for the Scottish and Welsh sides as well as highlights of the English team.Gabby Logan leads the BBC's rugby coverage. Martin Johnson, Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies, John Barclay, Jamie Heaslip, Andy Nicol, Chris Paterson and Thomas Castaignède are the main pundits and co-commentators. The BBC's main commentator is Andrew Cotter. Sonja McLaughlan and Lee McKenzie are the reporters.
Rugby league
The BBC shows live coverage of the Challenge Cup including both semi-finals and the final, the Four Nations and the Rugby League World Cup. Coverage is hosted by Mark Chapman and Tanya Arnold with commentary from Dave Woods, Jonathan Davies and Brian Noble. The BBC's Super League Show shows weekly highlights of the Super League, Magic Weekend, Super 8s and the Grand Final.Also, for the first time, the BBC will show 12 Super League matches live, as well as the World Club Challenge, beating Channel 4. It will show this coverage for the next three seasons.
Olympics
The BBC holds the exclusive terrestrial rights to show Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games and has shown live coverage of every Summer Olympics since 1960. For the 2012 Olympics in London the BBC had three stations showing live coverage of the games. BBC One showed main coverage, BBC Three with special extended coverage and BBC Two aired when BBC One was broadcasting news bulletins.The BBC's current rights deal lasts through the 2032 Summer Olympics. Beginning at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the BBC entered into sub-licensing agreements with Discovery Communications, the pan-European rightsholder of the Olympics for 2018 through 2024. Discovery will sub-license exclusive pay television rights to the Games from the BBC in 2018 and 2021, and will then, in turn, sub-license terrestrial rights to the Games to the BBC in 2022 and 2024. The deal is intended to maintain the BBC's tradition of Olympic broadcasting, although the BBC's coverage will be reduced as a result; the BBC and Discovery have had a historic relationship in regards to co-production of factual and nature programming. From 2026 onwards, the BBC has rights to the Olympics as part of the joint deal between European Broadcasting Union and Warner Bros. Discovery.