MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has secured the rights to provide exclusive live ball-by-ball radio commentary of the 2013/14 Ashes in Australia (21 November 2013 -7 January 2014), providing the final element to a year of cricket coverage on Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.

There will also be programmes and presenters on Radio 5 live for the summer, including ?Andrew Flintoff?s Ashes Roadshows?.

The BBC?s cricket portfolio also includes live commentary of the New Zealand Test Matches and ODI?s, the ICC Champions Trophy and the pinnacle event of the summer - The Ashes. In addition, there is the recently announced ongoing ball-by-ball commentary of the entire county cricket season via BBC online and BBC Local Radio, plus live coverage of county matches on 5 live sports extra.

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, "We?re very pleased to have added the Ashes in Australia to our existing cricket rights portfolio, and there?s no one better to deliver it to audiences than the esteemed Test Match Special team. We?re looking forward to a fantastic summer and winter of cricket which we will be covering through TMS, Radio 5 live and our digital platforms."

MUMBAI: Channel 4 and the BBC in the UK have reached an agreement which will see the transfer of broadcast rights to the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships pass to the BBC.

The BBC already has the broadcast rights to both the 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The agreement reflects Channel 4?s acquisition, this year, of any enhanced portfolio of major horse racing events from January 2013, including The Grand National, The Derby and Royal Ascot.

The acquisition of the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships will see the BBC continue in its extensive support of Olympic sports in the build-up to Rio in 2016 and which culminates in 2017 when the Championships will be held at the Olympic Stadium in London. It also adds to the breadth and depth of a current sports rights slate which includes major tournaments such as the Six Nations, Wimbledon, Formula 1 and The Open.

Channel 4 Director of Commercial Affairs Martin Baker said, ?Since the deal for the 2011 and 2013 World Athletics Championships was agreed in 2010, Channel 4 has acquired the rights to the major events of UK horse racing and the BBC has announced that it will broadcast the 2015 and 2017 World Athletics Championships.

?We are pleased to have reached a commercial agreement with the BBC for the 2013 Championships which reflects the changing nature of both broadcasters? sports portfolios.?

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, "We are delighted to have secured the 2013 World Athletics Championships. It allows BBC Sport to build on the London 2012 Olympic legacy through coverage of the 2013, 2015 and 2017 World Championships. Added to the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 it will take the BBC audience on an Athletics journey from London 2012 to London 2017.?

MUMBAI: The Football Association (FA) has agreed a new six season deal with BBC Sport for the radio commentary rights for all men?s and women?s FA Cup & International matches along with the Community Shield.

The deal covers the qualification campaigns for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and the 2016 European Championships.

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, "We?re delighted to have secured another agreement for the commentary rights on BBC Radio 5 live for the FA Cup and International matches. Both have a strong heritage on BBC radio and are hugely valued by our listeners. It?s really exciting to take it forward for another six seasons."

The agreement covers the 2012/13 season and runs through to the end of the 2017/18 season.

BBC Radio 5 live controller Adrian Van-Klaveren said, "The agreement means we can continue to offer BBC Radio 5 live listeners the best coverage of matches and tournaments which they really care about. We?re delighted that we will continue to capture all the action and drama over the next six seasons."

The FA general secretary Alex Horne commented, "We?re delighted that the BBC will be bringing The FA Cup, England internationals and the Community Shield to large audiences nationwide. It will be an exciting year for England as Roy Hodgson leads us into the World Cup qualifying campaign and some mouth-watering fixtures as part of The FA?s 150th anniversary celebrations. We thank BBC 5 Radio live for their support and look forward to working with them over the next six seasons."

MUMBAI: BBC and the ATP have agreed a two-year extension to their Barclays ATP World Tour Finals broadcast agreement.

The new deal will see BBC broadcast the next two editions of the event at The O2 in London in November 2012 and 2013. The BBC will broadcast one live match every day of the tournament including the opening match, one semi-final and the final. The BBC iPlayer will offer all BBC broadcast matches.

ATP executive president, chairman Brad Drewett said, ?We?re very happy to continue our partnership with the BBC for a further two years. This agreement provides a fantastic platform for showcasing our jewel event to millions of people on terrestrial television in the UK. We look forward to the best players in the world putting on another fantastic show for fans worldwide."

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is the year-end culmination to the men?s professional tennis season, featuring only the world?s best eight singles players and doubles teams.

Featuring a unique round robin format and with only the world?s elite players competing, the season-ending tournament guarantees more top eight match-ups than any other event throughout the season.

BBC director sport Barbara Slater said, ?The ATP World Tour Finals are a prestigious and fitting finale to the season and we?re delighted that BBC viewers will continue to be able to see top quality tennis as the world?s best players compete in London."

The BBC first broadcast the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in 2009 when the event moved from Shanghai to London. This year?s tournament takes place from 5-12 November.

MUMBAI: The BBC has retained free-to-air highlights of the Premier League in the United Kingdom until the end of the 2015/16 season.

With a bid of ?179.7m the BBC has retained their highlights package, including the traditional Saturday evening Match of the Day programme, the Sunday morning repeat, MotD2 on Sunday evenings and other evenings when Premier League fixtures justify a show.

Match of the Day and MotD2 will also be available on the BBC?s iPlayer from midnight on Mondays.

Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore said: "The free-to-air highlights are extremely important to the broadcast reach of the Premier League; allowing the competition and our clubs to be seen by the maximum possible number of fans across the country.The BBC has done a fantastic job for fans of Premier League clubs by providing quality coverage and analysis across their programmes. We are very pleased to be continuing our partnership with them."

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker added: "It is wonderful news that we have MotD for another three years. It is a flagship programme and it shows how much the BBC values sport and the importance of football."

The new contract will see MOTD celebrate its 50th birthday.

BBC Director of Sport Barbara Slater said: "With such an amazing season and thrilling finale, Premier League football has never been more exciting and dramatic. We?re absolutely delighted that the TV highlights will continue to be available to licence fee payers. We?ve seen audiences for MOTD grow in recent years and the programme remains one of the BBC?s best loved and most iconic brands."

MUMBAI: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has agreed a new six-year deal with BBC Sport for the radio rights to broadcast ball-by-ball commentary on international cricket from 2014 to 2019.

The agreement, which will encompass two home Ashes series in 2015 and 2019, and tours by India in 2014 and South Africa in 2017, provides BBC radio with live and exclusive coverage of all England?s home Test, One-Day International and T20 series.

The BBC had previously agreed a four-year deal with ECB to broadcast live ball-by-ball coverage of international cricket which is due to expire at the end of the 2013 season.

ECB CEO David Collier said, ?The next six years are set to be exciting ones for the sport and Test Match Special?s coverage together with the regular summaries and updates provided by BBC Radio 5 live will play a significant role in
promoting cricket from the playground to the Test arena.?

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, ?We?re delighted to be taking cricket on the radio forward for a further six years. Test Match Special, now in its 55th year, is one of the most treasured programmes on the BBC with its unique mix of expert commentary, insight, humour and entertainment. In a new digital era the programme and its accompanying download have never been more popular with its audience.?