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- BBC builds on previous agreement with World Athletics signed in 2019
- Broadcaster’s rights deal with UK Athletics expired in 2020
UK public service broadcaster the BBC will show the next five editions of the World Athletics Championships.
The multi-year agreement with World Athletics also covers three World Indoor Championships, including the 2024 event in Glasgow which was announced as host last week.
The 2022 edition of the World Championships will take place in Oregon in August.
The BBC’s previous contract was signed in October 2019 and included the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
“It’s fantastic news that the BBC will deliver these world-class athletics events, free to air to UK audiences,” said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport.
“With so much UK talent emerging and athletes winning medals on the world and Olympics stage, the next few years are set to be an incredibly exciting time for the sport.”
The extension is the second major athletics rights agreement for the BBC this year, after the broadcaster sealed a deal in May to show every event from World Athletics’ Diamond League series live until 2024. The BBC also has rights to the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, both of which are taking place next year.
However, the BBC opted not to renew its broadcast deal with UK Athletics, which expired in 2020. The Times reported back in August of last year that the BBC, which was paying around UK£3 million (US$4 million) per year, no longer considered the arrangement value for money.
