World class badminton makes a welcome return to the BBC next week with live coverage of the prestigious YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships being broadcast online to the nation through the BBC Sport website.
The Championships, which sees Rio 2016 Olympic champions head a world class field at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, enjoy a global TV audience in excess of 169 million households.
Today’s exciting news will see, for the first time in ten years, a UK audience access live, free to air and online coverage from the second round stage (Thursday 9 March) onward, culminating in the showpiece Finals Day on Sunday 12 March.
Last season, the BBC broadcast live the YONEX All England semi final featuring Team GB stars Chris and Gabby Adcock on the BBC red button service.
This season’s coverage will feature a minimum of 20 hours of live action, showcasing everything that the fastest racket sport on the planet has to offer at elite level.
Adrian Christy, Chief Executive of Championship organisers, Badminton England, said: “We are delighted that the BBC will broadcast the YONEX All England through their channels. We have a great relationship with the BBC and believe their huge reach to be completely compatible with the millions of people who play and support badminton, across such a wide and diverse demographic. It is a fantastic partnership.
“Given the recent news surrounding our world class funding, having the support of a world class broadcaster to the magnitude and standing of the BBC is another significant move forward for one of the nation’s most popular and participated sports.
“Our players regularly perform on the world stage in front of huge crowds and millions watching on TV in Asia and Europe and we want to bring that high level of profile to badminton here in the UK. Having the BBC on board is essential in this mission.”
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships take place at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham between 7-12 March 2017 and features the sport’s biggest names from 32 countries.
Report courtesy of Badminton England
