Exclusive:Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games organisers in talks with 'multiple' broadcasters over crucial TV deal

With just over nine months until the event returns to Scotland’s biggest city, organisers are still working towards an agreement with a UK broadcaster, amid doubts the BBC will come on board.

The public service broadcaster has screened 18 consecutive iterations of the Games. But so far organisers of next year’s scaled down version have only struck deals with broadcasters in Australia and New Zealand.

While Commonwealth Sport, formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation, has made £100 million available to fund the core budget of the Games - using money secured in a compensation negotiation with Australia’s Victorian government following their withdrawal as hosts in July 2023 - up to £50m has to be raised from commercial income, meaning a host broadcast deal is crucial.

In an interview with The Scotsman, Phil Batty, who was appointed chief executive officer of Glasgow 2026 in January, said talks were ongoing behind the scenes.

“We’ve had lots of conversations to ensure that the global broadcast rights for the Commonwealth Games are secure for next summer, and we’ve already done deals with the Channel Seven network in Australia and Sky New Zealand TV, and we’re talking to broadcasters in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and across Europe and the Americas,” he said.

“Here at home within the UK, we’re in talks with multiple broadcasters for the UK rights and that work is underway right now. We’re confident there’ll be news on that shortly from Commonwealth Sport [formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation].”

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Having served as director of ceremonies and culture at Birmingham 2022, Mr Batty’s appointment will be a stern challenge. Ordinarily, organisers have a seven-year run in to prepare for the Games, but the team in Glasgow will have had less than two years to ensure the event is a success.

Mr Batty, 35, said it represented a “new era” for the event and the Commonwealth sport movement. He said: “We’re doing things with an absolute focus on sustainability and inclusivity - that means using existing fantastic facilities and thinking differently about how we host athletes, move them around the city and use public transport.

“There’s also work underway to make sure the social impact of these Games is far greater than anything else that’s happened before, and it’ll still be a fantastic ten day global sporting competition with over 200 medal events and 3,000 athletes from across the Commonwealth.”

It comes as organisers of the Games welcomed the opening of the application portal for volunteers for the event, which takes place between July 23 and August 2 next year. They hope to sign up more than 3,000 people to help provide “the first hello and the final goodbye” for the quadrennial gathering.

“Volunteers bring an energetic and friendly welcome to a major event,” Mr Batty said. “Since 2014, Glasgow has time and time again demonstrated that people really make this city and I know the volunteers in 2026 will rise to the opportunity.”

From assisting spectators and members of the international media, through to supporting athletes and venues, there is a wide range of opportunities, with some of those who took part in the Glasgow 2014 Games describing it as a unique opportunity.

One such volunteer, Cynthia Tjipuka, said: “Volunteering has been an unforgettable journey for me from COP26 to more recent events such the World Indoor Athletics Championships, and the UCI Cycling World Championships here in Glasgow. Each of these opportunities gave me the chance to meet incredible people, gain new experiences and be part of moments that brought the city together on a global stage.”

Members of Team Scotland were also in attendance at a press event in Glasgow on Tuesday, including Jack Carlin, a double Commonwealth and Olympic medallist.

“If it wasn’t for volunteers, we wouldn’t have the space and platform we have to compete, they are crucial, and they can help showcase Glasgow,” he said.

Mr Carlin, from Paisley, also said he was confident the second Glasgow Games would be a resounding success, adding: “I’ve been to two Commonwealth Games before and I was in the stands in 2014, and the energy is starting to feel the same. There’s obviously a shorter timeline, but it’s no less exciting.

“I remember watching Scottish athletes compete and it kickstarted my career. Hopefully the Games next year can do the same and spark the inspiration of the next generation of athletes. Part of what the Games is all about is leaving that legacy.”

Emily Nicholl, captain of the Team Scotland netball team, also praised the role played by volunteers and said the streamlined sporting timetable for the 2026 Games would allow her own sport to enjoy some crucial publicity.

“The volunteers are such a huge part of the Games - I’ve been to two so far and I’ve got first-hand experience of the impact they can have,” she said. “It might be that you’ve had a hard training session or a bad game, but from an athlete’s perspective, just that energy and a smile from a volunteer can make such a difference.

“It’s really massive for us. I’m a full-time lawyer and I have to do full-time training at the same time, so for us to get this opportunity to put ourselves out there and to have our moment in the spotlight is really important.”