Why is the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics so simplified and how can I watch them on Discovery+?

The BBC has been home to the Olympics for over 75 years, but it’s not just TalkSPORT taking the reins in Paris.

The BBC has enjoyed a monopoly on broadcasting rights to the Games in the UK for seven decades, but cannot offer the same service this year.

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The British Broadcasting Corporation first broadcast the 1948 Olympic Games in London, the first after a twelve-year hiatus caused by the outbreak of World War II.

68 hours of coverage were broadcast to the UK’s 100,000 television owners, which had increased to 51.9 million people watching footage of all events when the Games returned to the capital 64 years later in 2012.

However, the COVID-19-delayed Tokyo Olympics were marred by a wave of complaints that the BBC was not delivering the same level of live action.

Those who hoped that the reason for the reduction in services was complications from the fallout from the pandemic will be disappointed.

Paris 2024 will be the first Summer Olympics to be held in a time zone accessible to UK viewers whose access is still restricted.

What happened to the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics?

The BBC is no longer the main broadcaster of the Games, meaning its coverage is limited to showing two live events at a time.

In 2015, Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) beat the BBC to acquire the European television rights to the Olympic Games for an estimated £1.1 billion.

The agreement is in force for the next five Games, up to and including the 2032 summer edition in Brisbane.

In response to questions about why the BBC did not match the offer, an FAQ article on the BBC Sport website said: “Quite simply because we take our spending decisions very seriously, as it is taxpayers’ money that we are using.

“Even if we wanted to, we can’t buy everything we want.”

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Fortunately, UK law protects several sporting events, including the Olympics, which must be broadcast live on free-to-air television.

As a result, Discovery, which owns Eurosport, has agreed to sublicense some rights to the BBC.

What does this mean for UK fans?

The BBC’s restricted rights still allow for more than 250 hours of coverage, provided it is limited to one linear and one digital channel.

BBC One begins its television coverage at 8am every day and runs intermittently until 10pm. BBC Two also offers some slots to allow for news broadcasts, and a highlights programme is also available every evening at 10.40pm.

From 8am to 11pm, BBC iPlayer’s Olympics Extra service will also offer scheduled live coverage of the events.

The Games schedule ensures that all the biggest events and medal ceremonies will be broadcast over the 16 days of the event.

However, fans of niche sports or events that are not aimed at the general public will not be able to watch anything during the 16 days of the event.

And that means some of the headline-worthy moments will only be shown on the BBC as pre-recorded footage rather than live, such as the Sevens semi-finals and even part of the return of legendary American gymnast Simone Biles.

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This problem also arose at the first Summer Olympics, with the current arrangement in place in Tokyo three years ago.

The BBC Sport X account has confirmed that Britain’s Bradly Sinden has reached the taekwondo final before the end of the delayed television broadcast on BBC One.

It is unlikely that the situation will return to what it was before Tokyo, even after the agreement expires in 2032.

The steady rise and therefore competition from paid streaming services may prove too much for the BBC’s finances.

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What is the solution?

Discovery+ will offer 3,800 hours of live Olympic coverage via Eurosport for fans willing to pay, with subscriptions available here.

Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 will broadcast the action every day of the competition, with live coverage from 7am to 10.30pm every day.

Eurosport 1 and 2 will both be available on Discovery+, along with seven Eurosport “pop-up” channels curated around events.

Every moment of all 32 Olympic sports will be broadcast, with a discounted Olympic deal of £3.99 per month currently available.

Andrew Georgiou, the UK head of Warner Bros. Discovery’s media division, said it represented better value for money than the BBC.

He told the Mail: “We’ve said to the British consumer that if they want everything, it costs them £3.99 for a monthly subscription to watch the whole Olympics.

“And if you think about that value proposition for a consumer, it’s a very, very good value proposition, which we’re very happy to support.

“And then if we compare that to the BBC, the value proposition for us is just as good, if not better, given the amount of content we have compared to the BBC.”

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Paris Olympics: talkSPORT coverage

And last but not least, talkSPORT has secured the radio rights to cover the Olympic Games.

This is the first time that the broadcast rights for the event have been available on commercial radio.

A number of talkSPORT’s multi-award-winning presenters and pundits will provide fans with unlimited coverage and content, starting at 6am each day and ending at 10pm.

Our team of experts includes Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Kelly Holmes, Tessa Sanderson and Adam Gemili.

Meanwhile, we will have reporters at all main events, including cycling, judo, gymnastics and athletics.

talkSPORT.com will also keep you up to date with all the latest news with a live blog.

To listen to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 via the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT brings you live coverage of the Paris Olympics this summer, with Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes among our legendary pundits. Listen to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 via the website, app or smart speaker. And follow our live blog for all the latest news.