Oh I say! BBC serves up £80m for Wimbledon
AFTER the furore over its loss of Bake Off, the idea that the BBC might fail to keep Wimbledon was almost too much to bear.
So yesterday the Corporation stilled any beating hearts with news that it has struck a deal to broadcast the tennis championship for another eight years.
The All England Club and the BBC announced a four-year extension to their partnership – a tie-up estimated to have cost £80million.
It comes after a record 13.3million viewers watched Andy Murray win the Grand Slam on home turf for a second time this summer.
The BBC last night refused to reveal how much it was paying to keep the event – saying details of the deal were ‘commercially sensitive’.
Director General Tony Hall said: ‘Wimbledon is the pinnacle of the sport, and as such has a special place in the hearts of the nation.
‘Our extended agreement ensures The Championships can continue to be enjoyed free to air by the widest possible audience.
‘Wimbledon on the BBC will continue to unite the nation through must see sporting moments, captivating audiences of all ages.’
The current agreement between the BBC and Wimbledon, covering TV and radio, ran out in 2020. The broadcaster’s new contract will ensure it airs the tournament for a further four years up until 2024.
Next year, the BBC will have broadcast Wimbledon on television for 80 years and on radio for 90.
Yet this summer was the first time the broadcaster did not have a monopoly over the tournament for nearly 50 years when it shared coverage of the two singles finals with Eurosport.
ITV showed some matches at Wimbledon from 1954 to 1968. The Grand Slam is one of broadcasting’s ‘crown jewels’ – a list of prestigious sporting events of national importance which are protected under law.
The 1996 Broadcasting Act ensures the sporting spectacles are shown on free-to-air television — such as the BBC or Channel 4. Highlights of so-called B-list events also have to be shown on terrestrial television.
The current Wimbledon agreement between the BBC and the All England Club – the longest running partnership in sports broadcasting history – was due to run out in 2020. The finals consistently pull in millions of viewers. In 2013, a peak audience of 17.29million watched Murray’s Wimbledon final win. The Championship’s alltime record is 17.3million for 1980’s Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe final.
Last year the BBC’s 60-year ownership of broadcasting rights to The Open golf championship ended after Sky signed a five-year deal from 2017. The BBC will still air highlights.
The BBC has also previously surrendered Formula 1 coverage to ITV, while coverage of the Derby, Grand National and Royal Ascot has been lost to Channel 4.
Philip Brook, the All England Club’s chairman, said yesterday: ‘We greatly value the BBC’s commitment to delivering large national audiences… and look forward to celebrating 90 years of our partnership with them in 2017.’
‘Continue to unite the nation’