BBC axe popular tennis highlights show Today at Wimbledon after 60 years of coverage

BBC will not be airing any highlights of Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina defending their Wimbledon 2023 titles this year as its flagship tennis show has been axed.
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BBC has decided to axe its popular tennis highlights show Today at Wimbledon. This brings an end to 60 years of coverage ahead of Wimbledon 2023 in July.

The programme, which was first titled Wimbledon: Match of the Day, first aired in 1964. It changed its name to Today at Wimbledon in 1990 and has continued to be a fixture of the national broadcaster’s annual television schedule.

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In recent years, the BBC has struggled to broadcast Today at Wimbledon on a regular basis with episodes often delayed or cancelled due to tennis matches being played at Centre Court and No 1 Court. Over the course of last year’s tournament, the show was only aired in full on two separate occasions.

Now BBC bosses have decided enough is enough and that Today at Wimbledon is deemed no longer “viable”, according to The Times. Reports suggest the decision was motivated by later start times at Wimbledon, which means that people are only arriving home to watch the matches and not a highlights programme.

It is understood that in the off chance that the action comes to an early end before the main coverage, then a round-up including small footage and analysis will be shown. Longer highlights of matches at Wimbledon will also be available online.

BBC’s Today at Wimbledon is no more after 60 years - Credit: Getty ImagesBBC’s Today at Wimbledon is no more after 60 years - Credit: Getty Images
BBC’s Today at Wimbledon is no more after 60 years - Credit: Getty Images

This means there will be no Wimbledon highlights show airing on BBC ahead of this year’s iteration of the competition. Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina will be defending their titles when the tennis tournament is due to start on July 3.

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