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Commonwealth Games are set to kick off free-to-air television for the first time in their history, following a new broadcast deal with TNT Sports for next year’s event in Glasgow.
This marks a significant departure from the BBC’s long-standing role as the leading broadcaster, a position it has held since 1954.
Governing body Commonwealth Sports confirmed the deal with Warner Bros. Discovery on Friday.
Under the new deal, TNT Sports will broadcast the games on a dedicated linear television channel, while all games will also be available for streaming through HBO Max.
HBO Max is scheduled to launch in the UK in March, allowing viewers to subscribe to the platform without needing the full TNT Sports package.
UK pricing has not been announced yet, but European customers currently pay around five euros (£4.37) per month.
Although the deal represents a major change, the Press Association understands that TNT intends to explore potential collaboration with a free-to-air partner for live coverage.
This is in line with the Commonwealth Games’ status as a Group B listed event, which allows live coverage on subscription services provided secondary coverage is offered to free-to-air broadcasters.
Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir described the agreement as a “historic moment”.
He added: “With a heavyweight broadcast partner like Warner Bros. Discovery across the UK and Europe for Glasgow 2026 and strong interest for 2034, as well as the recent decision to award India the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, 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 stronger focus on telling the athletes’ stories, fans will be closer to the games than ever before.”
Warner Bros. Discovery has been the primary rights holder for the Olympic Games since 2015.
Under that agreement, the BBC is limited to showing only two Olympic events simultaneously live – one on a network channel and one via stream.
The upcoming Glasgow Games will be significantly streamlined compared to the 2022 edition in Birmingham.
Glasgow stepped in as host at short notice after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew.
The event, scheduled from July 23 to August 2, includes an integrated 10 sports And six par games.