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Why isn’t the Commonwealth Games on the BBC? How to watch Glasgow 2026 for free
Radio Times breaks down why Commonwealth Games 2026 is not on the BBC and how to watch for free.
Lintao Zhang / Getty Images
- Ned Holmes
Published: Sunday, 2 August 2026 at 10:01 am
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It's time to bid farewell to the Commonwealth Games as they take another four-year break, with tonight's closing ceremony seeing Scotland pass the baton to 2030 hosts India.
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Over the past fortnight, distinguished athletes from across the Commonwealth flocked to Glasgow for an unforgettable showcase of sporting prowess.
Among the top moments was Scotland's homegrown hero Josh Kerr winning gold – and setting a new world record for the fastest mile (pending ratification).
The astonishing feat, which saw Kerr pass the finish line in just 3 minutes and 54.12 seconds, had to be seen to be believed.
Alas, not everybody will have been able to witness it as it happened, with this being the first Commonwealth Games in 72 years not to be covered live on the BBC.
Instead, TNT Sports bagged the rights to be live TV partner of Glasgow 2026, while talkSPORT has been the exclusive destination for radio coverage.
Both broadcasters have done a fantastic job presenting the action, but for avid sports followers, not having free-to-air coverage of events has definitely stung.
Fortunately, there are still ways to catch the big moments from Glasgow 2026 without signing up for a subscription – particularly if you're willing to get creative.
Radio Times breaks down why Commonwealth Games 2026 is not on the BBC and how to watch for free.
Why isn’t Commonwealth Games 2026 on the BBC?
There will be no English language coverage of Commonwealth Games 2026 on the BBC because TNT Sports has the live UK broadcast rights.
Reports suggest the BBC did try to extend its 72-year broadcast partnership with the Games but was outbid by Warner Bros Discovery, which owns TNT Sports.
Warner Bros Discovery offered Commonwealth Sport a more lucrative package than the BBC, who have made it no secret they have prioritised other, more popular sporting events.
Commonwealth Sport has faced recent financial problems, which nearly led to the cancellation of the 2026 event and eventually saw it moved from Australia to a streamlined event in Glasgow, and appears to have prioritised a more lucrative broadcast deal over the wider reach of free-to-air live coverage.
TNT Sports and HBO Max are set to show more than 600 hours of live coverage throughout the event, which can be accessed for as little as £4.99 per month with an HBO Max pass.
Meanwhile, talkSPORT has taken over as the radio broadcast partner of the event, which means there will be no live radio coverage on the BBC.
UK viewers can watch some of the Commonwealth Games on the BBC as Gaelic broadcaster BBC Alba and Welsh-language channel S4C are carrying coverage after agreeing deals for TV packages that are only available in indigenous languages across Commonwealth countries.
Josh Kerr will represent Scotland at Glasgow 2026. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 for free
The best way to catch all the big moments from Glasgow 2026 for free is with 5's daily highlights show.
The hour-long broadcast, which is hosted by former Olympic sprinter Jeanette Kwakye, airs every night at 10:30pm from Friday 24 July to Sunday 2 August.
But there is another way. Indeed, those dedicated fans of the Games not willing to fork out for a TNT Sports or HBO Max subscription can still watch some events for free – as long as they're willing to get creative.
That's because free-to-air Gaelic broadcaster BBC Alba will air live coverage and highlights of Glasgow 2026 every day.
The Gaelic language coverage, which starts at 8pm for the opening ceremony on Thursday and then at 5:30pm throughout the Games themselves, will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
Welsh language broadcaster S4C has struck a similar deal to show live coverage of Glasgow 2026, which will be available on S4C, S4C Clic, and BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
Ned Holmes
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
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