A series of savage boardroom battles in the 1990s saw top-flight football almost disappear from free-to-air TV, and the BBC’s monopolies over cricket and Formula One have also bitten the dust.
But Wimbledon goes on forever. In their The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, experts Marina Hyde and Richard Osman explain why the world’s most famous tennis tournament is considered an irremovable jewel in the national broadcaster’s crown.
In theory, this could be the BBC’s last Wimbledon, because the corporation’s rights were set to expire this year, but Marina explains that it’s almost impossible for the tournament to disappear from our screens.
“These are the things that are listed by law, and they are said to be of major importance to society,” she says, listing the key events: “The Grand National, the Derby, World Cup, the Euros, the FA Cup, the Scottish Cup Finals, the Rugby World Cup Final, the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final, the Olympics, the Paralympics, and Wimbledon.”
An official statement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport says “A listed event is one which is generally felt to have special national resonance.
“It should contain an element which serves to unite the nation, a shared point on the national calendar, not solely of interest to those who follow the sport in question.”
Test Matches, apparently, are not on the list, and the BBC hasn’t broadcast live cricket since 1999. The 2005 Ashes series was the last time the sport was shown on free-to-air television, when it ran on Channel 4.
“Cricket has not been listed since 1998,” says Marina. “This is a big problem… I think The Ashes should definitely be listed. I think that should be on free-to-air.”
But Wimbledon is a whole different punnet of strawberries, Marina thinks: “I do think it’s so associated with the BBC. And I very much hope it sticks with the BBC because they’ve done a terrific job over the years.
“Different sports have different equations to make about whether they want more money, for whether they want more exposure on a terrestrial channel. So Wimbledon has to be on a terrestrial channel. It’s got this amazing relationship with the BBC.”
“I think they understand that it feels like the most extraordinary thing. And what a brand Wimbledon is, and the BBC has been a huge part in that. And they’re super, super smart, the Wimbledon people.”
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