The BBC has announced plans to “reinvent free-to-air sports broadcasting”. It plans to make available 1,000 hours a year of live sport through the iPlayer and the BBC Sports app.
Talks have been held with the FA, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the International Tennis Federation, British Swimming and British Basketball, with the aim of broadcasting coverage from more than 30 additional sports or sporting events, including World, European and National Championships.
It will be distributed across computers, mobiles, tablets and connected TVs and will include the early rounds of the FA Cup, Rugby League Challenge Cup, Women’s Super League Football, the British Basketball League and Wheelchair Tennis.
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, said: “This shows how we’re reinventing the BBC for a new generation. We’re giving people more of what they love by working in partnership with the sports industry and making the most of digital technology.”
The extra coverage has been made possible by low-cost streaming technology developed by the BBC. Since London 2012, the BBC has evolved how it streams live events – from Olympic Games and World Cups, to Glastonbury and national elections. The technology can now be used to cover hundreds more hours of live coverage, and a wider range of events, every single day.
On Thursday, Lord Hall warned of a threat to British broadcasting from Netflix and other online streamers, He said their rise would ultimately lead to an annual fall in the amount spent by British broadcasters to around £500m a year over the next ten years.
