Viewers of the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on Channel 5 expressed frustration as the broadcast cut to adverts during the athletes' parade. The ceremony took place in Glasgow on Thursday night, July 23, and was aired live on Channel 5.
Ceremony highlights and viewer backlash
The event at the OVO Hydro featured local musical headliners including KT Tunstall, Nathan Evans, and Callum Beattie. It opened with a video sketch of Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy travelling in the Doctor Who Tardis to collect King Charles and Queen Camilla from Balmoral Castle. The clip then showed Chris stepping out of the Tardis inside the stadium, followed by the King and Queen.
As the athletes' parade began, the programme interrupted for its first commercial break, prompting complaints on social media platform X. One viewer wrote: "@channel5_tv how disgraceful that you have an advert in the middle of the athletes coming in at the opening ceremony for the commonwealth games!!!!" Another said: "@channel5_tv absolutely shocking stopping for so many adverts during the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony from Glasgow, it would have been a different story if it had been Manchester or London."
Mixed reactions and Games background
A third commented: "Adverts during @channel5_tv coverage of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games - I'm off to BBC Alba where I might not speak Gaelic but at least I'm not going to miss anything! Some of us care about the countries that you skipped." Another added: "Commonwealth Games, and 12 minutes into the broadcast you show nearly FIVE minutes of adverts! I doubt it will be the last either. Can't you even show an important ceremony like this uninterrupted? disgraceful."
However, some viewers enjoyed the coverage. One praised the opening clip: "Now this is how you arrive to the Commonwealth games." Another said: "Watching the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Channel 5. Fair play to Scotland for being able to turn this round so quickly after the Australians/Victorians pulled out."
Games details
Victoria, Australia, was initially announced as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in April 2022, but in July 2023 the Victorian state government cancelled its plans due to escalating cost projections. In September 2024, the Scottish Government agreed to host the games with financial backing from Commonwealth Games Australia. The scaled-down and low-cost Games feature 10 sports taking place over seven venues and no athletes' village.
Cornish artist Bonnie Steward created Team England's Baton featured in the Opening Ceremony from rubbish collected on beaches, riverbanks, and in towns to highlight the threat of ocean plastic.
