WRC secures major three-year broadcast deal with BBC

The World Rally Championship will be broadcast live on the BBC as part of a new three-year UK broadcast rights deal, beginning from 2027.  

It will see the BBC broadcast select live stages, including the Power Stage from all WRC rounds alongside 60-minute highlight programmes from each rally.

The agreement from 2027-29 will also include extensive live coverage from Rally Scotland, which is set to bring rallying’s top tier back to Britain for the first time since 2019 next year.

It marks a long awaited return for the WRC on the BBC since Rally GB 2001, before the broadcaster lost the rights to Channel 4 in 2002.

The coverage will be delivered as a collaboration between BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland, combining expertise, talent and shared resources from across the nations.

Audiences will be able to follow all the action on the BBC iPlayer with the agreement also including digital rights, allowing content to be shared across its various platforms.

“This is a fantastic addition to our sports portfolio with teams across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland coming together to bring audiences one of the world’s most thrilling motorsport championships,” said Rhuanedd Richards Director, BBC Nations.

“The World Rally Championship combines elite sporting competition with dramatic locations and compelling stories, making it a natural fit for the BBC. The return of Rally Scotland to the WRC calendar is particularly exciting and we look forward to capturing all the thrills and excitement for audiences when it kicks off next year.”

Prior to this announcement the WRC’s UK television rights have been spread across several networks.

Pay TV channel TNT Sports, previously known as BT Sport, has held rights to show live coverage from every round since 2014. Free-to-air station ITV has broadcast highlights since 2020, taking over from Channel 5. S4C also provides coverage of the championship in Wales.      

A new UK broadcast rights deal is the first major announcement from the WRC since French automotive company Cosmobilis and private credit investor Park Square Capital acquired WRC Promoter, becoming the series’ new commercial rights holder.

“Our partnership with the BBC marks an important step in our strategy to grow the WRC’s reach and visibility in the UK,” said new WRC Promoter CEO Eric Boullier.  

“The BBC is one of the country’s most trusted and influential media organisations, and its powerful combination of television, digital and social platforms gives us a unique opportunity to reconnect with existing rally fans while introducing the championship to a new generation.

“With Rally Scotland joining the calendar next year, the timing could not be better to strengthen the WRC’s presence in such an important and historic market for rallying.”

Rally Scotland unveils new logo

Coinciding with the announcement of the new BBC television deal, Rally Scotland, which stands to benefit from the agreement, has today unveiled its new logo that will become the event’s identity moving forward.

The gravel rally based out of Aberdeen has also agreed a three-year deal to join the WRC from next year.  

“Today’s reveal of the new Rally Scotland logo and identity is another important step as we build towards 2027,” said Hugh Chambers, CEO of Motorsport UK.

“The event now has a clear mark of its own: a stylised Saltire, shaped from the imprint of a rally car tyre and placed at the heart of the brand’s new identity.

“It gives Rally Scotland a look that feels rooted in the country, connected to the sport and ready for a major global event.

“It also comes on a significant day for the rally. The BBC agreement gives Rally Scotland and the wider WRC a national platform from 2027, helping us reach long-standing fans and bring new audiences into the sport.

“It is an exciting development as we build towards a rally that can make a real mark for Scotland and for British motorsport.”

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