Wimbledon to stay on BBC as grand slam bucks paywall trend
Wimbledon will remain on the BBC until 2033 after the public service broadcaster announced a deal extension with the All England Club.
The Wimbledon Championships fortnight, which this year begins next Monday, is, in part, in cahoots with the government’s so-called Crown Jewels list – officially called the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events – meaning it must be free-to-air.
Only the finals must be made available for all, according to the legislation, while the remainder of the tournament is seen as Secondary Coverage Protected, where free-to-air broadcasters must have access to footage even if paywall holders control the rights.
But the BBC has continued its longstanding association with the All England Club, having first broadcast Wimbledon for a radio audience in 1927, with a new agreement into the next decade.
ITV flirted with coverage of the Grand Slam in the 1950s and 1960s but TV and Radio coverage has been covered exclusively by the BBC since 1969.
BBC keeps Wimbledon
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Wimbledon holds a truly special place in the hearts of audiences across the UK and this new agreement means we can continue our longstanding and deeply valued partnership with the All England Club well into the next decade.
“This is about celebrating one of the world’s greatest sporting events while continuing to evolve how we bring it to audiences. With new technology, fresh storytelling, new voices and innovative ways to connect with fans across television, radio, online and social media, we are excited to build the future of Wimbledon coverage together and bring audiences even closer to The Championships than ever before.”
The Wimbledon Championships are a key part of Britain’s TV Crown Jewels list, alongside the likes of the FA Cup final, Fifa World Cup, Grand National and elements of the Olympic Games.
There have been calls to expand the list to include more women’s sports and to upgrade some of the Group B, Secondary Coverage Protected, events to an elevated status. This could include the entirety of the Wimbledon tournament, as well as cricket Test matches, Six Nations rugby and the Open Championship.
Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said: “We are delighted to extend our historic partnership with the BBC through to 2033. For nearly a century, we have worked together to bring the magic of Wimbledon to generations of fans in the UK.
“This agreement reflects our absolute commitment to ensuring Wimbledon remains freely available to the widest possible audience across the nation.”
The Wimbledon finals will also be broadcast on TNT Sports, rights holders of Roland Garros, as a result of the contract aftermath of Eurosport ceasing to exist in the UK market.
Sky Sports holds the rights to the US Open and Australian Open.