BBC Signs Contract Extension To Retain Wimbledon

The BBC signed a new rights deal with the All England Club to continue broadcasting Wimbledon until '20. The three-year deal keeps the Grand Slam free to air and includes live online and radio coverage. BBC Dir Tony Hall said Wimbledon "unites the nation" and that he was "delighted" with the deal.  Wimbledon "will continue to be played out across BBC One, BBC Two, the BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website, with live radio coverage on Radio 5 live" (BBC). In London, Simon Briggs reported that while "many of the big sports-rights packages may increasingly stand beyond the reach of the BBC's budget," Wimbledon "is one flagship event" it is "determined to retain." It had been rumored that the BBC "was cooking up a partnership deal with BT Sport, which would leave some matches available only via subscription channels" (TELEGRAPH, 9/18).