Every live sports event BBC has lost in 2026 with ‘staff concerned’ | Other | Sport
The TV license fee 25 years ago provided access to a host of iconic sporting events on the BBC such as the Grand National, The Open, Test Cricket, the Paralympics and Royal Ascot. Yet, that identity has since crumbled, with the national broadcaster losing its rights to various sports over the years. The shift under the BBC’s Director of Sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, has become even more pronounced in recent years as it moves towards prioritising digital clicks as opposed to live sports. Part of the reason for that is the rapidly changing media landscape and the financial challenge posed by streaming platforms, which make the commercial battle for live sport highly competitive.
The result, however, is BBC Sport losing its unique reputation, carefully crafted over decades as the home of live sport. The Daily Mail recently highlighted some of the fears internally at the BBC, with staff in the corporation’s ongoing Six Nations coverage reportedly scared about what the future may hold five years down the line with regards to their other programmes.
Under a new four-year deal spanning 2026 to 2029, the BBC lost the rights to broadcast England men’s home and away fixtures for the Six Nations. ITV has therefore become the exclusive home for all of England’s Six Nations matches, while the BBC can broadcast five matches per season with a focus on Scotland and Wales fixtures, as well as the Women’s and Under-20 Six Nations.
The BBC has also lost the rights to air both the Commonwealth Games and the Boat Race in 2026. For the first time since 1954, the BBC will not be the primary broadcaster for this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
The rights for the 2026 Glasgow event were won by Discovery-owned TNT Sports. The BBC was outbid after a 72-year history of airing the games. While TNT is exploring making some coverage free-to-air, the bulk of the 600 hours of coverage is expected to sit behind their paywall.
Another blow was dealt after Channel 4 acquired the broadcast rights to the Boat Race, which had been aired by the BBC for decades, with the exception of ITV’s control from 2005 to 2009. While neither the Commonwealth Games nor the Boat Race are the biggest sporting events on the calendar, they still attract considerable viewership and are considered staples of British sport.
The 2025 renewal of Oxford University and Cambridge University’s yearly contest drew in 2.6 million pairs of eyes. Channel 4’s deal also secures the rights for the Women’s Boat Race centenary (2027) and the Men’s Boat Race bicentenary (2029).
Employees are now allegedly anxious and fearing over Wimbledon’s future on the BBC as the corporation pivots towards digital content such as Premier League clips. While the BBC still holds the live TV rights for the main tournament until 2027, they have already lost the exclusive rights to Wimbledon highlights. TNT Sports has secured these, meaning the BBC no longer has a monopoly on the action at SW19.
