Commonwealth Games on TNT

[davieG]

BBC replaced by TNT Sports as Commonwealth Games live broadcaster

Paul O'Hare
BBC Scotland
Published
19 December 2025, 12:05 GMT
Updated 11 minutes ago
The BBC has been replaced by TNT Sports as live UK broadcast partner for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The subscription channel outbid the BBC, which had been the main partner and provided free-to-air coverage since 1954 for 18 games in a row.

TNT Sports is part of Warner Bros Discovery and is best known for screening Uefa Champions League matches as well as selected English Premier League fixtures.

The BBC said it was "unable to match" TNT's bid to screen the games, which will take place from 23 July to 2 August.

TNT Sports said it would show more than 600 hours of live coverage in a "re-imagining" of the games, which will feature 10 sports and six para sports.

The broadcaster said every event would be streamed on HBO Max, which is due to launch in the UK and Ireland in March.

A monthly subscription to TNT Sports, ordered online, currently costs £30.99 a month.

But cheaper deals are available as add-ons through providers such as Sky, Virgin Media, BT and EE.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yj9pnl5n4o

 

 

[Lionator]

This event has done its time and is a relic of the darker side of the past. The further it appears off radar, the sooner it dies, thank goodness.  
 

Manchester 2002 was good fun though. 

[Super_horns]

Sure many of the Commonwealth sports won’t be happy that their chance to catch the attention of the wider viewing public has reduced .

Guess the BBC and other FTA channels felt it wasn’t worth paying whatever the asking price was and probably understandably tbh

[Corky]

Even more sports for Fletch!

[Fear Of The Fox]

24 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

Sure many of the Commonwealth sports won’t be happy that their chance to catch the attention of the wider viewing public has reduced .

Guess the BBC and other FTA channels felt it wasn’t worth paying whatever the asking price was and probably understandably tbh

True. Like everything else the highest bidder wins but that statement from BBC is full of hypocrisy and totally out of touch. They're blaming subscription services whilst ignoring millions of people are paying £14.56 p/m for BBC. If you don't pay they pay you a visit democratically.. 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

On 19/12/2025 at 18:22, Lionator said:

This event has done its time and is a relic of the darker side of the past. The further it appears off radar, the sooner it dies, thank goodness.  

I agree that it just about has "done its time", but not for the reason you suggest.   

 

The Commonwealth is a free association of countries and islands who seem quite happy being linked with Bad Old Britain, so I don't think too many sensible people are overtly bothered about "darker side of the past".  

 

From what I've read all the competitors love the Commonwealth Games.   It has a really good atmosphere around it, it was an early adopter of equality/diversity stuff, and it gives the chance for competitors from pretty small places to compete in a major tournament.

 

I think the main reason it's had its day is simply the astronomical cost of hosting such major tournaments, and the fact that athletics now has a full schedule of World Championships and European Championships.   The Commonwealth long pre-dates those Championships, but it's at the bottom of the pile, publicity-wise.

 

After next year's 2026 edition, I wonder whether they'll make a big thing of the 2030 one ... being the 100th anniversary of the first one in 1930, ... and maybe make it the last?