Sport

Barbara Slater, the Director of BBC Sport, likes to bang the drum for digital. Even so, last year she found the time to blog on the corporation’s website just six times.

Four of those six posts apologetically explained why the BBC had been forced to cede flagship rights and was likely to make further cuts in the future.

The posts unpicked why the BBC, after six decades, had to surrender Open golf and also give up on a, perhaps vainglorious, bid to roll back the years by making the Beeb the exclusive home of Formula 1.

Are we on the threshold of another television revolution similar to the introduction of colour or multichannel? There is a lot of excitement around virtual reality in show business and media circles. But can broadcasters successfully deploy VR – or will it turn out to be as ephemeral as the recent commotion over 3DTV?

This marks the beginning of a six-year partnership with the two channels.

Both ITV and the BBC will provide extensive coverage online and on television.

This will be the first time that the BBC has shared the Six Nations and the channels will show an equal number of home games from next month's fixtures.. 

The broadcaster has awarded the contract to experienced independent sports production company, Whisper Films, which was founded in 2010 by Coulthard, BT Sport and former BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey and former BBC F1 producer Sunil Patekl.

This announcement follows the news last month that Channel 4 would become the terrestrial TV home of Formula 1 from 2016-2018.

The former world champion will take on Australian heavyweight Mark De Mori in his first fight in over three years.

Haye, also known as The Hayemaker, said he was "delighted" that his comeback fight would be available to watch on the free-to-air channel: “I was determined to make this comeback fight free to everybody and fans should sit back and get ready for another fun-fuelled ride as I look to regain the heavyweight championship of the world.” 

The BBC has terminated its contract with Formula One in order to help meet the £35 million in savings BBC Sport was asked to make by BBC Director-General Tony Hall.

In a first for a UK terrestrial commercial broadcaster, Channel 4 says no advertising breaks will take place through the duration of live races.

The channel will broadcast ten races per season live, with high definition highlights from all 21 races, including those shows live on Sky Sports F1.

Four sporting giants will leave the world of athletics, rugby and super biking to compete in some the most demanding traditional sports in the world.

Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, World Champion sprinter Iwan Thomas, Superbike world champion James Toseland and Canadian 100-metre gold medallist Donovan Bailey will travel the globe testing their physical prowess.

From New Zealand beating Australia in the final to Japan's defining win against South Africa, the Rugby World Cup 2015 has been recorded as the second most-watched rugby tournament after England got through to the final in 2007. 

A record number of television audiences tuned in to watch the games. 

ITV told the RTS: "Overall the tournament reached 32 million viewers which is 55% of the UK population." 

Netflix could be expanding into current affairs, the company’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos has said.

Until now, the on-demand service has focused mainly on film and television content with a long shelf life.

However, speaking in Netflix’s Q3 2015 earnings interview, Sarandos said the company could be following its competitor HBO into producing more timely content.

In 2013, HBO teamed up with co-founder and CEO of Vice Shane Smith to produce documentary series Vice for the US cable network. The show’s fourth season is due to air next year.

ITV have launched a free app that allows fans to interact live with the 2015 World Cup.

The play-along platform also allows people to catch the latest news and receive video highlights from the tournament.

The app gives fans the chance users to vote during Television Match Official decisions about whether a try should have been given.

ITV online product manager Ashley Fletcher said: “Our app is a great way for fans to get even closer to games, interact with the programme and share and debate with fellow rugby fans.”