BBC to ditch Formula One coverage after £35m cut in sports rights with ITV … – Daily Mail

ITV Sport are taking over the cash-strapped BBC’s Formula One commitment from next season — as Sports Agenda predicted — after the corporation announced a £35million cut in sports rights.

It made no sense in the financial climate for the Beeb to be junior Grand Prix partners to Sky. It also looks another sensible move to withdraw from world championship darts after the next year of sharing with BT Sport.

The BBC should concentrate on sports with a national resonance, with Sports Minister Tracey Crouch referring to the need for more live coverage of sport on the BBC.

ITV Sport are taking over BBC’s F1 commitment from next season after the corporation announced £35m cut

It made no sense in the financial climate for the Beeb (pictured, BBC’s F1 hosts David Coulthard, English television presenter Suzi Perry and Eddie Jordan) to be junior Grand Prix partners to Sky

This should include cricket, though the Beeb is so dismissive of the national summer sport that Ashes hero Joe Root is not one of the Sports Personality of the Year finalists.

ITV’s F1 return is not expected to affect their bid for horse racing, although the fact that specialist channel Racing UK cover all the big races that ITV want to show exclusively is understood to be one reason why that rights announcement has been delayed.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month: ‘I spoke to the BBC. They have got a bit of bother with their budget. They’d like to deal with it in another way and restructure it and give us a little bit less. But they can’t really do that. They’ve got a deal with us.’

The grand prix circuit costs the BBC around £20m a year and, leaving aside their crown jewels, is the only sport in their dwindling portfolio where they can make big savings.

The news sparked some varied views across social media with one disgruntled F1 fan joking the BBC would be taken of their Christmas card list. 

Steve Gluning wrote: ‘That’s the #BBC off my #Xmascardlist BBC to ditch F1 coverage with ITV taking over from next season’.

Meanwhile, Twitter user Jamie Brannon claimed it was more important for the BBC to keep their coverage of snooker and the Olympic Games. 

He wrote: ‘I’m not bothered about BBC giving F1 to ITV. Much more important to me they keep hold of the snooker and the Olympics from 2022.’

They gave up their live Open golf one year early to Sky, and are handing over the F1 to ITV a full three years in advance.

Sky, who were prepared to pay £15m a year for The Open while the state broadcaster bid just £10m a year, prioritising spending on events such as Wimbledon and the Olympics, as well as Premier League football highlights on Match of the Day. The deal brought to an end 60 years of The Open being shown live on the BBC.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch recently referred to the need for more live coverage of sport on the BBC

The BBC are handing over Formula One to fellow broadcasters ITV a full three years in advance

The R&A, golf’s governing body, confirmed that Sky will not pay any more to broadcast The Open in 2016, despite gaining an extra year on the five-year contract for exclusive rights to live TV coverage agreed in February. 

The early end to the contract means that viewers will no longer be able to enjoy the likes of veteran commentator Peter Alliss, for so long the voice of golf on the Beeb, and popular presenter Hazel Irvine during live coverage of The Open.

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said in September: ‘In light of financial developments, the choice to amend the current contract from next year was a pragmatic one.

‘We know that many fans are unhappy with the loss of rights and in an ideal world the BBC would still be the home of live coverage of The Open.’ 

Hazel Irvine and Peter Alliss were the faces of live golf for the BBC, which has given up The Open