Channel 5 has agreed a deal to broadcast a daily highlights programme from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, as the BBC ends its 72-year association with the event. TNT Sports secured live rights last year, outbidding the BBC, which declined a highlights package after talks.
TNT Sports, owned by Warner Bros Discovery, will show over 600 hours of live coverage, with the Games available on all HBO Max tiers. Channel 5’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, is in the process of acquiring WBD for $110.9bn, but the highlights deal resulted from a competitive tender process unrelated to the takeover.
The BBC has broadcast every Commonwealth Games since 1954, but its decision reflects financial pressures and a strategic shift towards digital clips rights. The corporation is cutting up to 2,000 jobs as part of a £500m efficiency drive, impacting its sports budget.
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski has prioritised digital content to attract younger audiences, leading to live rights for Bundesliga football and Women’s Champions League, but a reduced focus on events like the Commonwealth Games and the Boat Races, now on Channel 4.
Channel 5 has expanded its sports portfolio, acquiring live rights to England men’s T20 cricket, the Club World Cup, and NFL games. The Commonwealth Games highlights deal marks another step in its growing sports coverage.
