BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra facts for kids
Logo used since 2022
|
|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Frequency | DAB: 12B Freeview: 706 Freesat: 706 Sky (UK only): 0131 Virgin Media: 908 Virgin Media Ireland: 928 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Sport |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC |
|
Sister stations
|
BBC Radio 5 Live |
| History | |
|
First air date
|
2 February 2002 |
|
Former names
|
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (2002–2022) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Web Stream |
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra is a national digital radio station in the United Kingdom. It is run by the BBC. This station focuses on showing lots of live sports. It works closely with BBC Radio 5 Live and shares many things like studios and presenters.
If a big news story happens during a live sports broadcast on 5 Live, the sports coverage might move to 5 Sports Extra. This allows 5 Live to switch to the news.
You can only listen to this station on digital radio, TV platforms, and BBC Sounds. Because of special rules, you cannot listen to the station online outside the UK since July 25, 2016.
About 1.1 million people listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra every week. This was true as of March 2023.
How the Station Started
BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra began broadcasting on February 2, 2002. It was part of the BBC's plan to offer more digital radio stations. Before this, all radio sports were on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4 (on longwave), or local BBC stations. These stations often didn't have enough room for all the sports. So, a new service was created just for extra sports.
The very first show started at 2:30 PM. It featured commentary on a Premier League football match between Manchester United and Sunderland. Juliette Ferrington was the first presenter.
In 2007, the station changed its look. It got a new round logo that was green. Green was chosen because people often connect it with sports. The station also started working even more closely with 5 Live. Its own website was made simpler, with most details moving to the main 5 Live site.
In 2011, the station moved its base to MediaCityUK in Salford. This move happened along with Radio 5 Live.
In 2022, the station's name became shorter. It changed from BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra to just Radio 5 Sports Extra. This was part of a bigger change across the BBC.
How to Listen to Sports Extra
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra is only available on digital platforms. You can find it on DAB Digital Radio. It's also on digital TV services like Sky, Freesat, Virgin Media, and Freeview.
You can also listen online through the BBC website and the BBC Sounds app. BBC Sounds also lets you listen to shows again after they have been broadcast. However, some shows can only be heard in the UK due to special rules.
The station is a part-time service. This means it only broadcasts when there is live sports coverage. Most of the time, it plays sports that aren't on Radio 5 Live. But sometimes, parts of a sports event might be on both stations. This can happen with big sports like Formula 1 or cricket.
The broadcasts on Sports Extra are live and usually don't stop. Radio 5 Live, however, often has breaks for news or other sports updates. When Sports Extra is not broadcasting live sports, it doesn't play anything else. On digital TV, a looping video plays, telling you about the next live event. The online stream also plays this promotional video now.
The station is managed by Jonathan Wall. He also looks after Radio 5 Live. The station works from Quay House in MediaCityUK in Salford. This move was made to create a big media center outside London.
You cannot listen to live sports from the BBC Sport website or app again on BBC Sounds. Only programs that were broadcast on BBC radio stations, like BBC 5 Sports Extra, can be listened to again.
What Sports You Can Hear
5 Sports Extra broadcasts many different sports, including:
- Test Match Special (cricket)
- Major cricket tournaments like the Cricket World Cup
- Other cricket matches, including Royal London One-Day Cup and T20 Blast
- County Championship cricket
- Full broadcasts of Premier League football and international matches if games happen at the same time. Radio 5 Live usually covers the main game.
- Major League Baseball's World Series (since 2004)
- Wimbledon Tennis championships, with extra commentary for different courts
- National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Finals
- Other big tennis tournaments, especially early rounds
- Formula One motor racing
- Action from any other competition also broadcast on 5 Live
From 2014, BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra started broadcasting NFL (American football) playoff games again.
See also
In Spanish: BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra para niños
- BBC Radio 5 Live
- BBC Radio 4
- BBC Local Radio
- Talksport
