BBC radio and sport 1922–39

The BBC, the sole national broadcaster, was slow in entering the world of sport, but between the wars it helped reshape the way sport was experienced by the British, first presenting ‘national’ sports events such as the Derby or FA Cup final to a national audience, and later moving to much broader ‘representative’ coverage. The BBC experienced problematic beginnings to sports broadcasting in the mid-1920s, and the earlier attempts to establish approach and direction, which proved challenging, are first analysed. The article then explores the main patterns of sporting coverage between 1927 and 1939, demonstrating how simplistic notions of a BBC ‘national’ approach were constrained by issues of class, gender and region. These issues, impinging on questions of popularity, access and exclusivity, are explored through three major dimensions: the relationship between the BBC and the various sporting governing bodies and clubs, audience response, and the nature of commentary.