BBC finalises IAAF World Championships deal to 2023

UK public broadcaster the BBC has taken up an option to broadcast rights in the country to the 2021 and 2023 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The BBC is understood to be one of several broadcasters that guaranteed the European Broadcasting Union’s acquisition in 2017 of a number of IAAF’s events from 2018 to 2023.

The EBU deal, which extends across Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, comprised platform-neutral rights to three editions of the World Championships in 2019, 2021 and 2023; three editions of the World Indoor Championships in 2018, 2020 and 2022; and competitions under the IAAF World Athletics Series.

The EBU, which is the consortium of European free-to-air broadcasters, acquired the rights jointly with the ESPN Media Distribution agency.

The 2021 and 2023 World Athletics Championships will be held in Oregon in the US, and Budapest in Hungary, respectively.

The BBC broadcast the 2019 Championships in Doha, Qatar, which ended on Sunday.