Wimbledon refuses to show Euro 2024 games even if England reach semi-finals
All the screens around the grounds will only be showing tennis at Wimbledon - Heathcliff O'Malley for the Telegraph
Wimbledon will not televise any Euro 2024 matches on its grounds during the Championships next month even if England reach the latter stages of the tournament in Germany.
In an exclusive interview, new All England Club chair Debbie Jevans revealed that all of Wimbledon’s big screens will only show tennis despite the prospect of clashing with an England quarter-final and semi-final after Gareth Southgate’s side moved into the last 16 on Tuesday night.
Jevans is a lifelong football supporter and avid Leeds fan, but insisted that with 42,000 daily tickets sold out months ago and thousands more expected to take their chances in the queue, the vast majority of people will be flocking to SW19 to watch tennis. The visitor experience for those without show court tickets has improved considerably in recent years, particularly with the opening of The Southern Village last summer which features rows of deckchairs neatly arranged in front of a huge TV screen.
“The big screens will be showing tennis,” Jevans said. “All the screens around the grounds will be showing tennis. We’ll only be showing tennis, as matches will be going on into the evenings.
“If England are doing well a few people may slip away to watch football, but the Euros won’t affect attendances. We’ve had record applications, all the hospitality packages have sold out so we’re not nervous. The ballot was oversubscribed and we sold out in record time.
“If England are in the semi-final of the Euros a lot of the public will inevitably watch that rather than a tennis match, but they will come back to it. That doesn’t mean the Championships are failing and everything is bad. It’s just patriotism and the fact that people want to watch England. That’s OK. And it would be a fantastic challenge to have as it means England are winning.”
Jevans also insisted that Wimbledon will resist any pressure from TV rights holder BBC to fit their order of play around the broadcaster’s Euros coverage, and that the needs of the players is their priority. Having secured a place in the easier side of the draw by topping Group C, England’s quarter-final will be on third-round day at Wimbledon on Saturday, July 6 if they get through the last 16, while any semi-final would clash with the tennis quarter-finals on Wednesday July 10.
“We’ll focus on the schedule that is right for Wimbledon, for tennis and the players,” Jevans said. “If you’re Carlos Alcaraz and you finish late at night, you’d be pretty fed up if you had to go on first the next day to avoid clashing with an England football match.
“The BBC rightly get an input and can give an opinion, but ultimately it’s a tennis decision. We always prioritise the athletes and their health. You don’t want players out late at night and then back first thing in the morning as they need time to recover.”
‘Everyone knows tennis in this country means Wimbledon, BBC, free-to-air’
Wimbledon’s relationship with the BBC is the longest-running sports broadcasting contract in the world, with the centenary of the first radio coverage from Centre Court to be marked in the final year of their existing deal in 2027. Jevans is eager for Wimbledon to extend their contract with the BBC, warning of the dangers of following other sports such as cricket in taking their biggest events behind a paywall.
With only Wimbledon finals on the “crown-jewels” list of sporting events that must be broadcast free-to-air, the All England Club could pursue a hybrid deal involving two broadcast partners. Jevans however is convinced that simplicity is key, a view endorsed by record audience figures on the BBC last year, including 11.3 million watching the final live.
“One of the challenges thrown up by the French Open was that their TV contract for the day matches is with the national broadcaster, France Televisions, but the evening matches are on Amazon Prime,” Jevans said. “If you didn’t have Amazon you couldn’t carry on watching.
“Simplicity for the consumer is very important, which is why I’m so proud of what we have with the BBC. Everyone knows tennis in this country means Wimbledon, BBC, free-to-air. We’re proud of that long relationship, and rightly so.
“Cricket went behind a paywall with Sky Sports, and one of the consequences of that was that the numbers of people watching cricket and participation in cricket diminished hugely. Now they’re trying to go back the other way. We have a very solid contract with the BBC and we’re very happy with it.”
Marking Murray’s achievements should he retire
Ahead of her first Championships as chair Jevans has been spared political problems such as the fallout from banning Russian players two years ago, but the next fortnight will inevitably involve some troubleshooting. The uncertainty over Andy Murray’s future plans will require careful handling, with Wimbledon ready to offer him a role at the All England Club should he choose to retire this summer.
“We’ve been thinking how to mark the occasion if Andy should choose to retire, and having discussions with the family,” Jevans said. “Ultimately it’s his choice and we’ll back him with whatever he wants to do. There are plans in place.
“Andy has been such an amazing ambassador for the sport and the country. If he chooses to step down we’ll celebrate accordingly. If there was a time when he wanted to be involved in the club, we’d welcome that conversation with him.”
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