BBC given Wimbledon warning over ‘out of contact’ pundits amid requires protection shake-up
The BBC has always been home to Wimbledon on television, but tennis coverage from competing channelsis beginning to outshine the UK public service broadcaster
The BBC had the controversial Nick Kyrgios working for them at Wimbledon last summer(Image: Simon M Bruty, Getty Images)
Wimbledon bosses are determined to preserve the tournament’s historic broadcasting alliance with the BBC. However there have been calls for a major overhaul of coverage of the prestigious tennis championship.
According to The Times, talks have already begun about the next television deal, which will take effect following the 2027 Championships. Tournament officials are said to have minimal desire to break the longstanding relationship between Wimbledon and the BBC.
But they feel that the existing coverage has grown tired and behind the times when compared to rivals throughout the sport, and the BBC faces the challenge of impressing All England Club decision-makers. The broadcaster must devise strategies to refresh its presentation of the esteemed grass-court Grand Slam.
TNT Sports, which currently broadcasts the Australian and French Open, appears unlikely to challenge the BBC for Wimbledon’s broadcasting rights. Sky Sports, which operates a specialist tennis channel and holds US Open rights until 2029, could potentially emerge as a rival bidder, though.
A broadcasting industry source said of BBC’s Wimbledon output: “John McEnroe is great – although he can split opinion – but some of the other presenters and pundits at Wimbledon seem out of touch and not really up to date with a lot of the players. There is obviously a balance to be struck to cater for those who like the traditional aspect of the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage, but it definitely needs to look at what is happening in other tennis coverage.”
There is a growing sentiment within tennis circles that the BBC’s coverage of the sport feels outdated. A Wimbledon insider told The Times that there is an agreement at the All England Club to prioritise cutting-edge broadcasting with world-class presenters for the championships.
TNT is unlikely to mount a serious challenge for Wimbledon’s broadcasting rights, viewing the BBC as the tournament’s rightful home. The network currently holds rights to show highlights and live coverage of both finals.
The BBC invests around £60million each year for its Wimbledon broadcasting deal. Yet even if competing broadcasters offered substantially more money, the All England Club would still back the BBC.
A source explained: “It’s not about the money or necessarily the highest bidder, it is about what is right for Wimbledon, and it is almost impossible for another broadcaster to provide the viewership that the BBC does.” Wimbledon’s enormous audience comes from its free-to-air BBC platform, and the corporation’s extensive programming across BBC One, BBC Two, and online services surpasses what competing channels can offer.
Last year’s championships broke viewing records with 69.3million digital video views. The men’s singles final, where Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz, drew a peak audience of 8.8million viewers across TV and digital platforms.
BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski said: “This year’s record-breaking digital figures for Wimbledon are testament to the huge appeal of the sport among audiences and the power of digital innovation to bring both new and existing fans closer to the action than ever before. The way people are following Wimbledon is changing, but that is exciting for us as we look to tell the best stories in different ways.”
While discussions continue, the BBC is likely to postpone finalising any deal until a new director-general assumes control. Tim Davie resigned in November, with the corporation’s board preparing to name his successor. The BBC’s association with Wimbledon spans a century. They initially provided radio commentary in 1924, before launching television coverage in June 1937.
