The BBC has lost broadcasting rights to both the Commonwealth Games and the Boat Race in 2026. Reports now suggest that staff are growing increasingly anxious about what lies ahead, following warnings over Wimbledon coverage.

Late last year, it was confirmed that the BBC had been outbid by Warner Bros. Discovery-owned TNT Sports for the rights to the Glasgow Games this summer. The corporation had held the broadcasting rights for over seven decades.

A further setback came when Channel 4 secured the broadcast rights to the Boat Race, which had been screened by the BBC for decades, apart from ITV's tenure from 2005 to 2009. Staff are now reportedly on edge.

While neither the Commonwealth Games nor the Boat Race ranks among the biggest sporting occasions on the calendar, both still command significant audiences. The 2025 edition of Oxford University and Cambridge University's annual contest attracted 2.6 million viewers.

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With the Games set to be broadcast by a different network for the very first time this summer, a report from the Daily Mail has shed light on alleged concerns within the corporation.

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It claims that staff involved in the BBC's Six Nations coverage are worried about what the future holds, particularly regarding their programmes and Wimbledon.

The coverage from SW19 is arguably the BBC's prized sporting asset, but they hold the TV rights only until 2027, with TNT Sports permitted to share and broadcast both singles finals. The channel secured the rights to broadcast highlights in the UK from the 2025 tournament onwards.

Radio commentary of the Grand Slam from the BBC has been ongoing for nearly a century, and it has televised matches free-to-air since 1937. The partnership stretches over a century, but a warning issued earlier this year could signal significant change.

The Times reported that the All England Club has raised concerns over how the BBC structures their Wimbledon coverage compared to other Grand Slams.

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An industry source reportedly said: "John McEnroe is great, although he can split opinion, but some of the other presenters and pundits at Wimbledon seem out of touch and not really up to date with a lot of the players.

"There is obviously a balance to be struck to cater for those who like the traditional aspect of the BBC's Wimbledon coverage, but it definitely needs to look at what is happening in other tennis coverage."

Fears are mounting that unless the BBC overhauls its tennis broadcasts, its rights renewal bid could be put at risk. Alongside the Commonwealth Games and Boat Race, prestigious events such as The Open, the Grand National and Royal Ascot have already departed the BBC's channels in recent years.