BBC Sport facts for kids
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Logo since October 2021
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| Department of the BBC | |
| Industry | Media |
| Genre | Sport |
| Founded | 17 February 1988 |
| Headquarters | MediaCityUK,
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United Kingdom
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Area served
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Specific services for the United Kingdom and rest of world |
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Key people
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Barbara Slater (Director) |
| Services | Television broadcasts Radio broadcasts Online presence |
| Parent | BBC |
BBC Sport is the part of the BBC that brings you all the exciting sports action. They show sports on TV, radio, and their website. The BBC has the rights to broadcast many sports in the UK. This means they can show live games or special shows like Match of the Day for football, Test Match Special for cricket, and Ski Sunday for winter sports. You can also find results, analysis, and extra coverage on the BBC Sport website and through the BBC Red Button on your TV.
History of BBC Sport
The BBC has been showing sports for many years. Famous old shows like Grandstand broadcast sports for almost 50 years! The name 'BBC Sport' officially started in 1988. This was for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. They used a cool animation of a globe with four coloured rings to introduce their sports coverage.
In 2007, BBC Sport decided to move from London to a new building in Salford. This big move to MediaCityUK helped spread BBC departments out from London. It was also a big investment in the north of England. The first sports news from their new home was broadcast on 5 March 2012. In 2017, BBC Sport got a new look on TV, using the BBC's new special writing style.
What Sports Does BBC Sport Show?
Football
BBC Sport shares the rights to show big football events like the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship with another TV channel, ITV. They show many games, including a semi-final and the final. For the 2018 World Cup, the BBC even showed some matches in super clear 4K quality and VR!
You can watch highlights of the Premier League on Match of the Day. This show has been hosted by Gary Lineker since 1999. There's also Match of the Day 2 and Match of the Day 2 Extra. On Saturdays, Alex Scott hosts Football Focus and Jason Mohammad presents Final Score, which gives you all the latest scores. The BBC also shows live matches from the FA Cup until 2026.
Cricket
Live cricket returned to BBC TV in 2017 after 21 years! The BBC now shows highlights of all England's home matches. They also broadcast two live T20 matches each season. Plus, they show 10 matches from The Hundred competition. Today At The Test is their show for Test cricket highlights. It's presented by Isa Guha.
Tennis
The BBC is the place to watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championships live on TV. They've had the Wimbledon contract since 1927, making it the longest sports TV deal in the world! They create over 900 hours of footage for broadcasters in 159 countries. Sue Barker used to present the Wimbledon coverage, with tennis legends like John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova joining her.
Matches are shown live on BBC One, BBC Two, the Red Button, or the BBC Sport website. There's also a highlights show called Today at Wimbledon. For the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, the BBC even showed matches from Centre Court in 4K quality online.
The BBC also shows two important grass court tournaments before Wimbledon: the AEGON Championships and the WTA AEGON International. They also have daily TV highlights from the Australian Open.
Rugby Union
The BBC shares the rights to the Six Nations rugby tournament with ITV Sport until 2025. They show all Scotland and Wales home matches live. You can also get extra coverage on the BBC Red Button and radio commentary for all games. Gabby Logan leads the BBC's rugby coverage.
Rugby League
BBC Sport shows live coverage of the Challenge Cup, including the semi-finals and the final. They also cover the Four Nations and the Rugby League World Cup. Their show Super League Show brings weekly highlights of the Super League. The BBC will also show 12 live Super League matches for the first time.
Olympics
The BBC has the exclusive rights to show the Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games on free-to-air TV. They've shown live coverage of every Summer Olympics since 1960! For the 2012 Olympics in London, the BBC had three channels showing live coverage.
The BBC has a deal with Discovery Communications for the Olympics until 2024. This means the BBC will still show the Olympics, but Discovery will have some exclusive pay-TV rights.
Commonwealth Games
The BBC showed the 2014 Commonwealth Games with lots of coverage. It was similar to how they covered the 2012 London Olympics. Live coverage was shown on BBC One and BBC Two, with BBC Three showing extra coverage.
Athletics
The BBC covers big athletics events like the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships, and the European Athletics Championships. They also show popular races like the London Marathon and the Great North Run. You can watch many Diamond League meetings live on the Red Button or BBC Two. Gabby Logan is the main host for athletics.
Snooker
Snooker is very popular on the BBC. The 1985 World Snooker Championship final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor was watched by 18.5 million people on BBC Two! The World Snooker Championship, the Masters, and the UK Championship are shown every year on BBC Two. The Welsh Open is also available on BBC Two Wales or the Red Button.
Darts
In 2016, the BBC started covering the PDC Champions League of Darts. This meant they stopped showing the BDO World Darts Championships, which they had shown since 1978.
American Football
The NFL returned to the BBC in 2015. The BBC shows the Super Bowl live and some NFL London Games. They also have weekly highlights shows. Dan Walker presents the highlights show with Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell.
Other Sports
BBC Sport also broadcasts many other sports. These include winter sports like Alpine Skiing World Cup under the Ski Sunday name. They also cover cycling, sailing, badminton, table tennis, squash, equestrianism, and gymnastics.
The BBC also shows the Boat Race (a rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge universities). They also cover the Invictus Games, which is a sports event for injured service personnel. You can also see highlights of horse riding events like the Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials. The World Indoor Bowls Championships are also shown on the BBC.
BBC Sport Online
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The BBC Sport website is a big part of what they do. It has scores and analysis from many different sports, even ones not shown on TV. You can find news stories about teams or specific sports. Sometimes, you can even watch live sports coverage directly on the website.
The website was updated in 2012 with a new look. It made live sports, programmes, and events easier to find. In 2013, the BBC Sport app was launched for phones and tablets.
Interactive Services
BBC Sport also has a service on the BBC Red Button on your TV. This service lets you see sports news and offers up to five extra live sport channels. This is great for watching uninterrupted coverage or different sports events that aren't on the main BBC channels. For example, during Wimbledon, you can use the Red Button to watch matches on other courts while a main match is on BBC One or Two.
Awards
BBC Sport gives out several awards to celebrate people in the sports world. The most famous is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. It started in 1954 and is given out at a big ceremony every December. There are also other awards for young performers, coaches, and trainers. Local BBC regions also give out awards, and their winners can be put forward for the national awards.
Images for kids
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BBC Sport logo used from 2017 until 2022.
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The BBC One and BBC Three studios for the 2012 Summer Olympics at the Olympic Park.
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BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy.
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BBC Sport logo used since 2022 for online and mobile app purposes.
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BBC Sport website as it appeared in May 2012.
See also
In Spanish: BBC Sport para niños
- BBC News
- Sports broadcasting contracts in the United Kingdom
- Broadcasting of sports events
