Public broadcaster the BBC has retained domestic rights to the Wimbledon Championships in a new agreement running from 2028 to 2033, ensuring the Grand Slam remains free-to-air in the UK for another six years.
New 2028–2033 deal: term, platforms, and value
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Agreed with the tournament organiser, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the renewal extends one of the longest partnerships in sport, dating back to 1927. (The BBC’s first Wimbledon coverage was broadcast on radio in 1927, with its televised coverage beginning in 1937).
The BBC will continue to deliver Wimbledon coverage across linear channels BBC One and BBC Two, the BBC iPlayer streaming service, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, plus the BBC Sport website/app and social platforms.
While the BBC and the AELTC have never publicly disclosed the value of their Wimbledon rights agreements, the extension is reported to be worth in excess of £60 million per year, underlining Wimbledon’s status as one of the most valuable annual sports rights packages in the UK market.
How the new fee compares with prior rights cycles
The reported annual value for Wimbledon’s UK rights has fluctuated over recent cycles. Based on stated figures, the BBC paid around:
– £40m per year (2010–2014)
– £40m per year (2015–2017)
– £60m per year (2018–2020)
– £60m per year (2021–2024)
– £44m per year (2025–2027)
If the new deal is indeed above £60m per year, it would represent a rebound from the 2025–27 period and place rights values back at—or potentially above—the highs seen in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
The sports rights fee for the 2025–27 period was reduced mainly because the BBC was under heavy financial pressure (a frozen licence fee and rising costs), which limited how much it could pay for premium events. It is widely held that Wimbledon accepted a lower fee from the BBC in exchange for keeping broad free‑to‑air access and maintaining the tournament’s long-standing reach with UK audiences.
Listed events framework: Group A finals, Group B non-finals
The agreement sits within the UK’s listed events regime, designed to keep nationally significant sports moments widely available for free.
– Wimbledon Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ singles finals are Group A listed events, meaning they must be available live on free-to-air “qualifying” services, such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV.
– Non-finals matches are Group B listed, which allows exclusive live coverage by a qualifying free-to-air broadcaster, provided there is adequate secondary coverage (for example, highlights) available via other services, such as all other free-to-air, pay-TV, or streaming services.
Reflecting that framework, the market has supported complementary arrangements alongside the BBC’s coverage. Since 2016, Warner Bros. Discovery has held rights for certain UK elements, such as coverage of the finals and/or highlights, enabling Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, to grant the necessary consent for the BBC to show exclusive live coverage of non-finals play when the regulatory conditions are met.
Conclusion
With the 2028–2033 renewal, the BBC and the AELTC are extending Wimbledon’s broad free-to-air footprint while also reaffirming the commercial value of the tournament in a shifting UK sports rights landscape.
