Commonwealth Games move off free-to-air television for first time after new deal

The Commonwealth Games are moving off free-to-air television for the first time after a deal for next year’s event in Glasgow was struck with TNT Sports.

The BBC has been the principal broadcaster of the Games since 1954 but Commonwealth Sport, the governing body responsible for the event, confirmed on Friday that it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros Discovery.

The deal will see TNT Sports broadcast the Games on a linear dedicated television channel, while all sports will be available to stream on HBO Max.

HBO Max is only due to launch in the UK in March, but anyone interested in watching the Commonwealth Games would be able to subscribe to that platform without needing a full TNT Sports package. The UK pricing is still to be announced, but European customers currently pay around five euros (£4.37) a month for HBO Max.

The Press Association understands TNT also intends to explore the possibility of working with a free-to-air partner on live coverage, but the deal nevertheless marks a major shift for the Games.

The Commonwealth Games are a Group B listed event, which means live coverage can be on a subscription television service provided that secondary coverage is offered to free-to-air broadcasters.

Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir described the deal as a “landmark moment”, and added: “With a heavyweight broadcast partner like Warner Bros Discovery onboard across the UK and Europe for Glasgow 2026 and the recent decision to award the 2030 Commonwealth Games to India, alongside strong interest for 2034, the future of our movement has never been more secure.

“Our partnership with Warner Bros Discovery opens up exciting new ways for fans to connect with the action. With more events available live and a strong focus on athlete storytelling, fans will be closer to the Games than ever before.”

Warner Bros Discovery has been the principal rights holder of the Olympic Games since 2015. Under that deal, the BBC has only been able to show two Olympic events live at the same time – one on a network channel and one via a stream.

Next year’s Commonwealth Games are considerably slimmed down compared to the 2022 edition in Birmingham, with Glasgow having stepped in late on as hosts after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew.

The event will feature 10 sports and six Para sports in an integrated programme, which will run from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: “The BBC has been proud to broadcast the Commonwealth Games over many years but our bid was unable to match the financial offer from the market to show the Games in Glasgow.

“We wish them every success for next year. We will continue to talk to the organisers about bringing as much of the Games as possible to audiences through free to air services and across BBC platforms.”

BBC bosses believe their portfolio of sport remains world-class despite losing the Commonwealth Games rights.