“We are constantly reviewing our event portfolio and exploring options with partners as we seek to redefine our broadcast products, but it was important, especially in an Olympic and Paralympic year, to show the entire event through our channels rather than partial coverage elsewhere.”Ī BBC spokesperson said it did not comment on broadcasting rights deals.

“As we were not in receipt of an opportunity to show the Muller British Athletics Championships on a TV channel this year, we have decided to broadcast the event over our own digital platforms,” said a UK Athletics spokesperson. Were the coverage to go on one of the BBC’s main channels, the production upgrade would cost closer to £250,000. Sources suggest the BBC’s refusal to pay the full amount of production costs was a sticking point for UK Athletics, with a potential bill of around £50,000 to upgrade existing production equipment to make it suitable for BBC streaming transmission. Instead, the sport’s fans will have to rely on a basic live stream of the trials on the UK Athletics website and YouTube feed if they want to see how the likes of Dina Asher-Smith and Mo Farah fare in attempting to qualify for the Tokyo Games. UK Athletics decided against allowing the broadcaster to have the Manchester event for free as it attempts to create financial demand for its products after the expiration last year of its bumper long-term BBC deal that had been worth more than £2million a year.

However, the broadcaster said it would not pay any money for the rights or cover full production costs, only offering a partial contribution. The Telegraph has learned the BBC declined to put the three-day event on one of its main channels, instead offering to host a live stream on the red button and BBC Sport website. This weekend’s British Olympic trials will not be shown on television for the first time this century after the BBC refused to pay for the rights and UK Athletics pulled the plug on suggestions that it might hand over coverage for free.

BBC refuses to pay to broadcast British Olympic athletics trialsĮxclusive: UK Athletics opted against giving broadcaster free coverage this weekend, with fans instead having a basic live stream option

Bbc red button for olympics