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Why can't I listen to some sporting events commentary online?

For a number of high profile sporting events, such as the Premiership and Formula One Grand Prix, the BBC only holds the rights to broadcast live commentary locally to the area covered by our radio transmitters. Our internet service is available across the UK and around the world and therefore we need to blank all output for which we do not hold international rights. We apologise for any inconvenience.

You can listen to BBC Radio Five Live on 909 & 693am and on digital radio or digital TV - but not over the internet because this can be accessed across the globe.

Local Radio Football Commentary

BBC local radio football commentary is also not available via the BBC iPlayer, since the copyright for these matches owned by the sports rights holders the Premier League and the Football League.

Charles Runcie, Head of Sport for BBC English Regions, explains:

The reason we cannot put our BBC Local Radio football commentaries on bbc.co.uk is that the copyright to them is owned by the rights holders the Premier League and the Football League. They effectively "license" the BBC to provide radio commentaries, for which we pay annual fees direct to the clubs.

The clubs themselves own the rights to put audio commentaries of their matches on the internet, not the BBC. When the BBC and a football club agree a commentary deal, reflected in this is the provision for a club to request to use this BBC commentary on their website. The BBC usually does so at no cost to us, and we supply the vast majority of online audio commentaries. Nor does the BBC make any money from this, being seen as part of a good relationship between a BBC Local Radio station and their local football clubs.

Many clubs now have subscription elements to their official club websites. They are looking to find additional revenue streams in order to finance the day-to-day running of their clubs, hence using audio online commentaries as part of the subscription-only offer on their club sites.

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