• 

• Sport
• Other Sports
• BBC

Need to know

A round-up of the sports the BBC has lost live rights to as the Boat Race switches to a new channel

The Boat Race will be shown on Channel 4 this year(Image: Getty)

The live TV rights the BBC has lost in recent years as the Boat Race moves to Channel 4

1. Key events lost: For decades, the BBC was the undisputed home of live British sport, with the TV licence fee providing access to iconic events like the Grand National, The Open golf, Test cricket and Royal Ascot. But those events, and many more, now reside on other channels.
2. New direction: Under Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC has shifted its priorities from live sports to digital clicks. This change comes amid fierce competition from streaming platforms and financial challenges in the rapidly changing media landscape.
3. England Six Nations matches: The BBC has lost broadcasting rights for England's Six Nations matches to ITV under a new four-year deal from 2026 to 2029. The corporation can only broadcast five matches per season, focusing on Scotland and Wales fixtures, plus the women's and under-20 Six Nations.
4. Commonwealth Games: For the first time since 1954, the BBC will not be the primary broadcaster. Discovery-owned TNT Sports has won the rights to the Glasgow 2026, with the BBC insisting it was "unable to match" its bid.
5. Olympic Games: The BBC had already lost control of the UK's Olympic Games, which now belong to the Discovery. The corporation still has access to live Olympic coverage but is limited to showing two sports at a time, one on TV and the other on a stream.
6. Formula 1: After taking back the UK rights from ITV in 2009, the BBC lost exclusive coverage to Sky Sports in 2012. It continued showing a selected number of races live until the end of 2015, before giving them up entirely as part of a cost-saving measure.
7. Boat Race: Channel 4 has acquired the rights to the Boat Race, ending the BBC's decades-long coverage (aside from a brief spell on ITV in the 2000s). The Oxford-Cambridge showdown drew 2.6 million viewers in 2025.
8. Wimbledon change: While the BBC still holds live TV rights for the main tournament until 2027, it has lost its exclusive monopoly on highlights, which are now shared with TNT Sports.
9. Retained events: The BBC shows a selection of FA Cup matches, including the final, as part of a sub-licensing deal with primary broadcaster TNT Sports. The BBC, alongside ITV, hold the UK rights to show World Cups and European Championships due to their protected free-to-air status.
10. READ THE FULL STORY: All live sporting events BBC has lost rights to in 2026 with staff 'worried for future'