BBC may lose Glastonbury rights
It has been reported that US tech giants are hoping to outbid the BBC and take over as the principal broadcaster of the annual festival.
The i paper has reported that both YouTube, owned by Google, and Amazon Music are said to be interested in wrestling the rights from the BBC.
Both streaming platforms have aired festival coverage previously, covering FireAid in California, and Primavera in Spain.
The firms are likely to be able to comfortably outbid Britain's national broadcaster, which has had to make drastic cuts to manage successive reductions in its budget.
This year's festival was marred by the broadcast of a set by the band Bob Vylan, during which the act led chants of 'death to the IDF'.
Pascal Robinson-Foster, the lead singer, also sang that Britons could not 'have their country back' in front of a banner declaring that the UK was built 'on the backs of immigrants'.
Director-general Tim Davie has faced calls to quit over the broadcast, with Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, demanding he explain why the performance was shown live.
Samir Shah, the BBC chairman, was also summoned by Ms Nandy to discuss the controversy, which left Mr Davie fighting for his job.
Losing the festival would be a blow to the BBC, which draws in audiences of more than 20 million with coverage of the event.
It would, however, make financial sense to the Eavis family, which runs Glastonbury from Worthy Farm, with major streaming platforms potentially able to provide both huge sums and audiences.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, said that the scandal was a ' time of national shame ', adding: 'The airing of vile Jew-hatred at Glastonbury and the BBC's belated and mishandled response brings confidence in our national broadcaster's ability to treat anti-Semitism to a new low.'
Avon and Somerset police launched an investigation into the Bob Vylan gig, stating: 'This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage.'
The broadcaster became embroiled in the controversy despite seeking to avoid any scandals.
The BBC attempted to avoid broadcasting a set by Kneecap, a Northern Irish rap trio who were investigated by police after one member, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, allegedly shouted his support of Hamas and Hezbollah on stage at a 2024 show.
A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC, Glastonbury's exclusive broadcast partner, continues to bring audiences a two-month celebration of this year's festival. This year, BBC iPlayer coverage provided over 90 hours of performances, in addition to The Glastonbury Channel and over 90 sets to watch on demand throughout July. There was also extensive coverage on BBC TV, radio and BBC Sounds – including over 30 performances and DJ sets that are now available on BBC Sounds.'
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