BBC instructed to create controversial new channel or lose Wimbledon rights by ex-Match of the Day host
Broadcasting veteran Des Lynam has urged the BBC to establish a subscription-based sports service to challenge commercial broadcasters Sky and TNT Sports.
The 82-year-old former Match of the Day presenter believes the corporation must abandon its traditional free-to-air approach for major sporting events.
Writing in The Telegraph, Lynam argued that the BBC requires alternative revenue streams beyond licence fee funding to remain competitive in securing premium sports rights.
His intervention comes as the corporation faces mounting pressure from well-funded rivals who continue to expand their sporting portfolios.
The broadcasting icon’s proposal represents a radical departure from the BBC’s established model of providing sports coverage as a public service.
Lynam wrote in his Telegraph column: “If they are to compete as serious contenders for big-time sport, they will have to form a separate sports channel and that means pay-per-view. They have the brand.
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“The only way to compete is to find the money to do so.
“Unless the BBC is content to cover only minor sports they will have to get out into the marketplace.”
The broadcaster stressed that required funding levels necessitate sources beyond the licence fee: “To do this, the kind of money involved means the funding must come from a source other than the licence fee and that means pay-per-view.”
The BBC’s broadcasting agreement for Wimbledon concludes in 2027, with the corporation currently paying £60 million annually to the All England Club.
Both Sky and TNT Sports have expressed strong interest in acquiring these rights when the contract expires.
The tennis championships hold particular significance for BBC executives, who classify Wimbledon as a Category A “crown jewel” event.
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Despite this designation, the corporation faces an uphill battle to retain the rights.
Industry sources suggest the renewal price will increase substantially, potentially pricing out the licence fee-funded broadcaster. The BBC remains determined to maintain its longstanding relationship with the tournament.
Lynam cautioned that the BBC risks relegation to secondary status in sports broadcasting without embracing commercial models.
He observed that the corporation’s highlights programmes merely demonstrate their position as “also-rans” compared to comprehensive coverage from subscription services.
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The veteran presenter, who fronted BBC sports coverage on Match of the Day from 1988 to 1999, acknowledged potential backlash to his proposal.
He wrote: “If there is someone at the corporation who agrees with me and has the courage to fight for that cause I mentioned, get ready to summon up the blood, disguise fair nature and prepare for the incoming rage.”
His comments reflect growing concern about the BBC’s diminishing sports portfolio as competitors secure exclusive rights to premier events.