The BBC sport department yesterday denied press reports which suggested that the corporation would have to cut top sports coverage if a licence-fee increase was not forthcoming.
According to a leaked report, senior BBC managers believe that if the £89 licence fee is not increased then it will simply not have the funds to bid for major sporting events. The BBC’s sport budget is believed to be around £100m and coverage of the Olympics alone cost £30m. This year it has seen live Five Nations coverage go to Sky and Formula One go to ITV. The corporation is apparently looking for a rise above the rate of inflation of about £6.
The BBC said however that the report had been twisted and that it had every intention of “continuing as the leading sports broadcaster”.
BBC: 0181 743 8000
Media Jobs
Hello. We have downloaded cookies on your device. Some of these cookies are essential for the website to function. Others are non-essential and are used for analytics and advertising.
We need your consent for these types of cookies.
To withdraw your consent or change your cookie choices, please do this through your browser settings.
Otherwise, click OK to accept and continue.
