How can I watch Wimbledon 2018?

Finally, FINALLY, the sun seems to have found its way to our tiny little island and the unbearably-cold temperatures that this winter brought the UK are over. Summer is here. British summers and Wimbledon go hand-in-hand, and this year is set to be a fantastic tournament. But how can you watch Wimbledon 2018?

How to watch Wimbledon 2018

Wimbledon is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, with an estimated one billion viewers across 200 territories. You can watch it this year on BBC as a free-to-air event. The BBC has broadcast the tournament for the last 80 years, and has acquired the rights to continue to do so until at least 2024. So, as long as you have a TV with a signal and a TV licence, you will have access to the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon 2018.

How can I watch Wimbledon? 

Most people simply tune in to BBC1 or BBC2 which share the hosting of The Championships. On these channels, it is usually only the main matches that are shown, but there is also an option via the red button to view more matches from the outside courts. Every evening, a highlights show is shown on BBC 1 or BBC 2 to round up and display highlights from all the day’s matches. Also, the BBC website covers even more live matches across the tournament. This is accessible online, on mobile or on a tablet.

Why do I need a TV licence? 

You will legally need a TV licence when viewing live TV (or BBC iPlayer) in the UK. The money that you pay towards the licence is distributed, with a large majority of the BBC’s income coming from licence fees. This helps the BBC to continue to broadcast their free-to-view service and purchase the rights to, for instance, Wimbledon and other major sporting events like the FA Cup Final.

Click here to find out all you need to know regarding the UK TV licence, including the cost, how to pay it and whether you actually need one.

Will Wimbledon always be free to view?

With the BBC possessing the rights until 2024 to broadcast Wimbledon, it will be free to view for (at least) the next six years. Following that, if the BBC does lose the rights to a pay TV service such as Sky, the Wimbledon Final should still be free to view, but not the entire tournament. This is because a range of the top sporting events such as the Olympics, the World Cup and the Grand National are considered sporting ‘crown jewels.’ This means that the respective authorities have agreed that their specific sporting event should be made available for free to the public, however, they can back out of this agreement in future should they wish.

Who broadcasts Wimbledon?

In terms of who actually operates the cameras and decides exactly what is broadcast, the BBC again had that right up until this year’s Championships. As of 2018, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) will operate the broadcast of The Championships themselves via their own Wimbledon Broadcast Services. 

Can I watch Wimbledon 2018 on Sky? 

Yes, all Sky TV packages have BBC channels on them so you won’t have to disconnect your Sky box. Simply select the BBC channels to view.

Can I watch Wimbledon 2018 on Virgin?

Yes. Similarly to Sky, if you have Virgin Media TV you can simply watch Wimbledon on the BBC channels via your TV box.

When is Wimbledon 2018?

The main Wimbledon tournaments begin on Monday 2nd July this year, with qualification for the tournament beginning a week before. There is no play on the first Sunday (8th), and the Women’s Final is on Saturday 14th of July, with the Men’s Final the following day on Sunday 15th of July.