Channel 5 has agreed a deal to broadcast daily highlights from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, while the BBC will not air any coverage of the event for the first time since 1954.
TNT Sports, owned by Warner Bros Discovery, secured live rights last year after outbidding the BBC, which declined to take a highlights package following talks. The broadcaster will show more than 600 hours of live coverage, with highlights sublicensed to Channel 5. The Games will be available on all tiers of HBO Max, according to the source.
The BBC’s decision marks a significant shift in policy, reflecting financial pressures that have led to plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of a £500m efficiency drive. The corporation’s sport budget is expected to be hit hard, and its coverage of this summer’s World Cup will be presented from Salford rather than on location in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, has been unapologetic about focusing on digital content to attract a younger audience, prioritising clip rights over live or highlights packages. Over the past year, the BBC has bought live rights to Bundesliga football, the Women’s Champions League and home nations’ World Cup qualifiers, while retaining Six Nations rugby and men’s Champions League highlights.
Channel 5, meanwhile, has expanded its sports portfolio, acquiring live rights to England men’s cricket T20 internationals, last summer’s Club World Cup and two weekly NFL games. The highlights deal was agreed via a competitive tender process, with Channel 5 parent Paramount Skydance in the process of acquiring Warner Bros Discovery for $110.9bn (£83bn), although that takeover has no bearing on the agreement.
