Sacrificial game plan (sports rights)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 24, Issue 11

Turner C. Marketing Week, 3 April 2008, Start page: 22, No of pages: 2

Purpose – To describe how ITV’s tactic of offloading Formula One(F1) on to the BBC allowed it to scoop up the sought-after Champions League contract. Design/methodology/approach – Describes the battle among UK broadcasters for the rights to screen high-profile sporting events. Findings– ITV terminated its Formula One contract two years early, enabling the BBC to bid for it but thereby effectively preventing the BBC from bidding for the Champions League, given the BBC’s public duty to deliver value for money. Comments that regaining the rights to screen F1 after an absence of 12 years is a fillip for the BBC while ITV rids itself of a contract that was becoming increasingly unviable. Goes on to explain that ITV will have 23 Wednesday-night live matches, making it a crucial pillar of the schedule, adding that it also fits perfectly into the broadcaster’s strategy of launching event TV while the multimedia rights give it a hook to relaunch its ITV.com website which has been overshadowed by the popularity of the BBC’s iPlayer and its site. Originality/value – Believes that ITV showed commercial cunning in “sacrificing” unprofitable F1 rights and that the deal gives ITV more room to breathe as it tackles problems elsewhere .ISSN: 0141-9285 Reference: 37AK047

Keywords: BBC, ITV, Sport, Strategy, Television, United Kingdom