On tv, on radio, online
No broadcaster these days can have a monopoly of sports rights. The UK market is a healthily competitive one - and there are plenty of events covered well by , and . This autumn ITV have the and , which are covered by us on radio and online. Next year, the and Euro 2008 in addition to our regular schedule so the cycle of even years, when we have our biggest TV events, and odd years, when we don't, will continue.
We recognised some time ago that this can give the effect of feast or famine. Next week we have on 91Èȱ¬ ONE with , followed a few days later by - whereas last week it was, well, . Nothing wrong with that, and more than a million people watched it on Saturday afternoon, but sports fans expect more these days - so that's what we're trying to deliver.
We're investing a lot more in our sports news and journalism - and this website is the best example of our 24x7 services. For example, a few weeks back we broke all records for the number of users who visit this site in one day. 3.7 million of you logged on, not because of a live sports event, but to find out more about .
Equally, across our sports bulletins on and on 5Live and the other networks we're delivering more news content that's tied in with our web offering. There are, inevitably, buzz words for this within the 91Èȱ¬ but the aim is increasingly to work across radio, TV and online: a tri-media approach. We also believe we can offer a unique service at local level - on 91Èȱ¬ local radio and regional television; at national level; and across the globe on and World Service radio.
What goes with this is a commitment to hearing from the biggest names in sport and asking them the questions you want answered. is one example of that. Or 5live Sport every night, or with its interview last weekend with . No longer do we think it's ok for one tv or radio programme to have its single shot at an interview: we now make sure you can hear it on other media, or select it at the time of your choosing from this site or from our other digital platforms.
I should say that I don't believe we've yet seen the full power of our sports news machine. It can, and will, deliver even more bang for its buck; but the signs are good. This is the most-successful sport website in Europe, and on TV and radio we've had growing audience numbers for sports journalism. In its first few months, Inside Sport has made headlines with the likes of , and ; and its interviews have been followed up by hundreds of newspapers and websites across the world. Our mobile service is the most popular across the 91Èȱ¬ (in total, across the week) as people pick up the latest sports news while they're on the move.
This is, of course, complementary to our events coverage on television and radio - and it will never replace the thrill of the big live moments in widescreen HD. But it's more and more a vital part of what we do, day in and day out, and we hope the strong audience numbers show we're on the right track.
