BBC OB contracts go to CTV, NEP Visions, Presteigne Charter and Telegenic; SIS Live not part of the picture

In a highly anticipated announcement, BBC Sport has today revealed the identities of the successful bidders for a host of important outside broadcast contracts. NEP Visions will cover athletics and tennis (including Wimbledon); CTV will handle football, the Oxford/Cambridge boat race and the London Marathon; Presteigne Charter will cover Formula 1; and Rugby League and Rugby Union will be the responsibility of Telegenic.

However, BBC Sport’s current supplier, SIS Live, is not among the new contract recipients. The broadcaster says the two parties were unable to reach a commercial agreement for the provision of some of BBC Sport’s outside broaccast services, and as a result SIS Live will cease working with BBC Sport at the end of its current contract in March 2014.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, comments: “We are extremely grateful for the role played by SIS Live and its staff in covering sports events over many years. We are very disappointed that an agreement could not be reached and it goes without saying that we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

Reflecting on the new OB structure, Slater adds that “the mix of suppliers we now have ensures best value for money for licence fee payers and will bring more innovation to the BBC’s coverage of sporting events.”

What the BBC refers to as “the unique technical requirements” needed to deliver The Open Golf Championship mean that the outcome of this tender is not yet concluded but will be announced in due course, along with a number of other contracts such as the FA Cup, Sports Personality of the Year and Olympic sports.