BBC Takes Over Rights for 2013 World Athletics

LONDON: Channel 4 has agreed to give the BBC the broadcast rights for the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships.

Channel 4 acquired the exclusive media rights for the IAAF World Athletic Series for 2011 to 2013 back in September 2010. The BBC previously took the broadcast rights for the 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Athletic Championships.

This adds to the BBC’s support of the Olympics sports in the run-up to Rio in 2016 and culminates in 2017, when the Championships will be held at the Olympic Stadium in London. It also holds the rights to a number of other major sports tournaments, including the World Cup, Six Nations, Wimbledon, Formula One and The Open.

Channel 4, meanwhile, which aired the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, made a number of deals this year to enhance its portfolio of horse racing events, including The Grand National, The Derby and Royal Ascot.

Martin Baker, Channel 4’s director of commercial affairs, said: “Since the deal for the 2011 and 2013 World Athletics Championships was agreed in 2010, Channel 4 has acquired the rights to the major events of U.K. horse racing and the BBC has announced that it will broadcast the 2015 and 2017 World Athletics Championships.

“We are pleased to have reached a commercial agreement with the BBC for the 2013 Championships which reflects the changing nature of both broadcasters’ sports portfolios.”

Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, added: “We are delighted to have secured the 2013 World Athletics Championships. It allows BBC Sport to build on the London 2012 Olympic legacy through coverage of the 2013, 2015 and 2017 World Championships. Added to the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 it will take the BBC audience on an Athletics journey from London 2012 to London 2017.”