02-07-2025
BBC face fight to keep showing Wimbledon as two rivals eye huge broadcast deal
The BBC have held the rights for Wimbledon since 1927, but the broadcaster could miss out when they come up for renewal after the 2027 tournament with TNT Sports and Sky Sports interested
The BBC are reportedly facing a fight to keep the rights to broadcast Wimbledon beyond 2027. Wimbledon is a Category A event, designated as one of the "crown jewels of sport" by the government and must be available on free-to-air TV as a result.
However, the 1996 Broadcasting Act does not state that events must be exclusively shown on terrestrial TV. For example, the Olympics is another Category A event but Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) now hold the broadcast rights after beating out the BBC following Rio 2016.
WBD have agreed a sub-licence deal with the BBC, but the traditional home of the Olympics are limited to showing just two live events simultaneously. And according to a new report from City AM, something similar could happen with Wimbledon when the current broadcast deal expires after the 2027 tournament.
Bidding for the 2028-2030 rights are due to take place later this year and the report states that both TNT Sports, who are owned by WBD, and Sky Sports are looking to add more tennis to their portfolios.
TNT recently extended their deal to show the French Open for five more years, while they are also broadcasting daily highlights from this year's Wimbledon and will share live coverage of the men's and women's singles finals with the BBC.
Sky, meanwhile, agreed five-year broadcast deals with both the ATP and WTA tours in 2023 and also have the rights to show the US Open. Although the BBC has broadcast Wimbledon since 1927, the report claims they will have to 'significantly increase its rights fee' in order to keep it.
It is also noted that the BBC's Royal Charter is also set for renewal in 2027 and that could complicate things, with the charter forming the "constitutional basis for the BBC" and outlining its remit.
Legendary BBC broadcaster Des Lynam recently discussed the future of the corporation's Wimbledon coverage in a column for the Telegraph, writing: "For the BBC, the quality of broadcasting takes on a special meaning.
"The relationship between the Corporation and Wimbledon has been going on for almost 100 years but so many major live sports have been lost in recent years that there is always an element of concern that Wimbledon, which for the time being remains the jewel in the crown, might go the same way.
"The bad news for any potential competitor is that the BBC has a contract with Wimbledon until 2027, which interestingly will be the centenary of the first radio broadcast from the All England Club.
"It will be vitally important for the BBC to keep up their very high standards, otherwise in a couple of years the sport could fade away to the highest bidder as most of the other major sports seem to have done."
