Sports
Wimbledon, F1, Cricket Create Headache for Fans—and Broadcasters
(Bloomberg) — Three of Britain’s biggest sporting events of the year clash on Sunday, creating a headache for fans and television networks and annoying one of the richest people in world sports.
England’s national cricket team is playing its first World Cup final in 27 years, with coverage starting at 9 a.m. on Channel 4. The match, against New Zealand, could be boiling up just as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic do battle for the men’s title at Wimbledon — scheduled for 2 p.m. on the BBC, also free-to-air. Meanwhile, coverage of the British Grand Prix starts on Channel 4 at 1:15 p.m., pushing the cricket to the More 4 channel until after the race. Not forgetting cycling’s Tour de France on ITV.
For Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, the scheduling is baffling. It could mean fewer people will tune in to watch him try for a record sixth victory at his home Grand Prix.
“This is such a special weekend and it needs all the focus of the country and not a small amount,” he told reporters. “People will be switching between channels on Sunday not sure what to watch.”
Part of the confusion stems from the fact that cricket has been on pay-TV for several years and Sky Plc agreed to share broadcasting with a free-to-air channel if England made the final. Also, the World Cup takes place every four years and in different regions, so there isn’t always a clash in programming. India holds the next edition, in 2023.
What Bloomberg Intelligence Says:
“It’s going to create even more of a push to second screen viewing. So you already have this phenomenon where people are watching one thing and then messing around on Twitter on their phone, but perhaps they’ll also be watching something else on their phone or on their tablet.”
John Davies, media analyst
For now, Britain’s legion of armchair sports fans will just have to make do with multi-tasking.
“The scheduling could have been better, but as a lifelong cricket fan I really can’t complain,” said Christian Taylor, a Londoner who’s figuring out his TV strategy with his family. “Being big fans of Formula 1 and Wimbledon also, there’s certainly going to be a decent amount of channel hopping, but we’re just looking forward to a day of high quality sport.”
The focus next weekend will be far simpler, and more exclusive — golf’s British Open starts Thursday at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, and culminates on Sunday. It’s only available to U.K. fans on Sky.
-
News2 months agoINVESTIGATION: Why Nokia Could Matter More in the Quantum Age Than It Ever Did in Mobile
-
News2 months agoINVESTIGATION: Is AI in a Bubble? Inside the Trillion-Dollar Question Reshaping Global Markets
-
News2 months agoThales & Ankaa to Deliver Multi-Mission Air Traffic Surveillance Radars for Oman, Capable of Supporting Civil & Military Operations
-
Economy2 months agoOMIFCO Successfully Completes Bookbuilding & Sets Final IPO Offer Price
-
Economy2 months agoWhat Higher Oil Prices Mean for Oman’s Economy in 2026
-
Business2 months agoOman India Fertiliser Company Lists on Muscat Stock Exchange
-
Banking & Finance1 month agoBank Muscat posts net profit of RO137.49 million in H1 2026
-
Insurance2 months agoLEADERSPEAK: Dhofar Insurance CEO Sunil Kohli on Oman’s Insurance Sector, Reinsurance & Market Outlook

You must be logged in to post a comment Login