BBC Viewers Outraged: Subpar Coverage of Paris 2024 Olympics Sparks Backlash

BBC viewers are expressing dissatisfaction with the channel’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics, which commenced on Saturday following a grand opening ceremony on Friday night. Despite the BBC adjusting its schedules to accommodate the Olympic Games, the standard of coverage has left many viewers disappointed.

A significant point of contention arose on Monday morning when “BBC Breakfast,” hosted by Sally Nugent and Ben Thompson, was interrupted mid-broadcast. The live program switched from BBC1 to BBC2 to make way for the day’s Olympics coverage on the main channel, as per reports Birmingham Live.

This abrupt change did not sit well with many viewers. One frustrated viewer took to social media platform X, saying, “So #BBCBreakfast moves across to BBC2 because 17 hours of Olympics are now on BBC1, and immediately repeats all yesterday’s Olympic news they’ve already covered, ad nauseum, since 6 am! Perhaps those that need this will still be on BBC1? Give us an alternative to sport, please!”

Most complaints on X targeted the actual coverage of the Olympics, with viewers arguing that there was too much talking and video footage rather than live sports action. One viewer exclaimed, “Get on with it and show some sports instead of chatting and showing trailers!!!!” Another echoed this sentiment: “FFS and instead of the live volleyball they’ve jumped to, they’re playing a video reel about the life and times of a gymnast #BBCOlympics.”

Others suggested the BBC should provide more viewing options, similar to the London 2012 Olympics. “BBC should add more channels like they did for London 2012 to give viewers more choice – not everyone has iPlayer @BBCSport #olympics,” one viewer recommended. Another added, “Oh here we go again. Tom Daly’s turn today to be talked about non-stop in between still talking about Adam Peaty. I’m off to Eurosport #BBCOlympics.”

There were also complaints about the limited availability of certain sports. “Why can’t we watch any fencing or alternative sports on iPlayer? Provision much more limited than last time,” a viewer questioned. In response to the backlash, the BBC issued a statement explaining the constraints on its Olympics coverage. According to the statement, Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) acquired the European TV rights for the Olympic Games in 2015 for a reported 1.3 billion euros.

This deal allows WBD to broadcast as much of the action as they want across multiple channels. The BBC, by contrast, has a more limited scope under the current arrangement. The BBC’s statement clarified, “In 2015, Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) bought the European TV rights for the Olympic Games for a reported 1.3bn euros. Fast forward to Paris 2024, and they can show as much of the action as they want across as many channels as they want.

That, in the UK, was previously something the BBC did – you’ll remember we offered online and Red Button feeds of every sport during London 2012. However, thanks in part to UK law that aims to ensure major events, like the Olympic Games, are widely available, the BBC was able to strike a deal with WBD.”

The statement further mentioned that the BBC will have a network TV channel and a second broadcast stream throughout Paris 2024, enabling them to show the two most exciting or important events happening live at any moment. However, for those keen on specific sports not covered extensively, Discovery+ is recommended.

“Since the Winter Olympics in 2018 what’s changed is that if you are really into a specific sport that isn’t the main story of the day, we may not be able to broadcast it live. We will still update you on all the stories of the day, but if it’s wall-to-wall Greco-Roman Wrestling you’re looking for, then Discovery+ will be the place to watch it,” the BBC concluded.