The British Academy Television Award for Best Sport is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. According to the BAFTA website, the category is for "the television coverage of a sporting event."
The category has gone through several changes: An individual award (occasionally with nominees) named Best Outside Broadcasts was presented from 1964 to 1968 and in 1977. From 1986 to 1991, the category was merged with the Best News Coverage category, being presented as Best News or Outside Broadcast Coverage. From 1995 to 1997, it was presented as Best Sports/Events Coverage in Real Time. In 1998 and 1999, it was awarded as Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage. From 2012 to 2015, the category for sport evens was merged with the Best Live Event category being awarded under the name Best Sport and Live Event.
Since 2016, the category is presented as a stand-alone category, separate from the Best Live Event category.
Winners and nominees 1960s Best Outside Broadcasts Year Title Recipient(s)1964 Antony Craxton1965 Dennis Monger1966 The State Funeral of Sir Winston ChurchillLSO - The Music Men Peter Morley Men Against the MatterhornCup Winners Cup final: "West Ham v Munich"England v Scotland Alan Chivers, Walther Pluess The Lying-in-State and The State Funeral of Sir Winston ChurchillNATO ConferenceFestival of Remembrance at Cenotaph Antony Craxton Victory in Europe - 20 Years AfterHalf Time BritainScience SpecialChallengeTomorrow's World Glyn Jones1967 Grandstand: "World Cup" |- | rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"|1968 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Alan Chivers, Christopher Brasher
1970s Best Outside Broadcasts Year Title Recipient(s)1977 1976 FA Cup final Match of the Day St Nicholas Cantata Margery BakerThe State Opening of ParliamentWimbledon 1976
1990s Best Sports/Events Coverage in Real Time Year Title Recipient(s)1995 The Grand National Keith MacKenzie, Martin Hopkins Arnhem 50th Anniversary: Out of Ammunition Michael Begg D-Day Remembered: Beaches of Normandy and the Bayeux Service of Remembrance Neil Eccles, Stephen Morris UEFA Cup: "Aston Villa v Inter Milan" Mike Inman, John Watts1996 VE Day Coverage Peter Hylton Cleaver, Neil Eccles, Philip S. Gilbert and Team Cheltenham Gold Cup Jane Garrod Super Sunday: "The Final Day of the Premiership" Andy Melvin, Tony Mills VJ-50 Live: The Final Tribute Neil Eccles, Simon Betts, Philip S Gilbert1997 BBC1 Euro '96 Coverage Niall Sloane, Vivien Kent Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Jim Reside, Keith MacKenzie Monday Night Football Andy Melvin, Tony Mills Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph Peter Cleaver
Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage Year Title Recipient(s)1998 Sky Rugby Union Martin Turner The Grand National Malcolm Kemp, Martin Hopkins, Dave Gordon Hong Kong Handover: The Final Moment Philip Gilbert, Neil Eccles, Geoff Wilson and the BBC Events Production Team ITV Coverage of the Grand Prix Neil Duncanson, Keith McKenzie1999 Channel 4 Racing: "Derby Day" Andrew Franklin, Denise Large The Eurovision Song Contest Guy Freeman, Geoff Posner The Football World Cup Final Programme Paul McNamara, Niall Sloane World Cup '98: "England v Argentina" Jeff Farmer, Rick Waumsley, John Watts
2000s Best Sport Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2000 Test Cricket Jeff Foulser, Gary Franses Channel 4 Formula One 1999 Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane, Keith MacKenzie ITVThe Open Golf Championship 1999 BBC One/BBC Two Interactive Live Football Piers Croton Sky Sports2001 Sydney Olympics 2000 Dave Gordon, Martin Hopkins BBC One/BBC Two 2000 British Grand Prix Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane, Keith MacKenzie ITVTest Cricket Channel 4 Today at the Paralympics Gary Imlach, James Venner BBC Two2002 Channel 4 Cricket Channel 4 Germany v England Paul Armstrong, Phil Bigwood, Alan Griffiths BBC OneBritish Grand Prix: Silverstone 2001: "Farewell Murray Walker" ITV FA Cup Final 2001: Liverpool v Arsenal Rick Waumsley, John Watts, Jeff Farmer 2003 The Commonwealth Games BBC One ITV World Cup 2002 ITVWorld Cup: "England V Argentina" BBC One World Rally Championship Neil Duncanson, Dave Lewis Channel 42004 2003 Rugby World Cup final John Watts, Simon Moore, Rick Waumsley ITV Channel 4 Racing: Cheltenham Gold Cup Day Denise Large, John Fairley, Andrew Franklin Channel 4Test CricketLondon Marathon BBC One2005 Olympics 2004: "Matthew Pinsent's Rowing for Gold" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|BBC One |- | Euro 2004: "France V England" || Rick Waumsley, Tony Pastor, Paul McNamara || rowspan="2"|ITV |- | Formula One - Monaco || Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane |- | colspan="2"|Olympics 2004: "Final Night Athletics" || BBC One |- |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|2006 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|The Ashes: England v Australia Channel 4 Champions League Final Live: AC Milan v Liverpool Ric Waumsley, Paul McNamara, David Moss ITV Formula One - US Grand Prix Neil Duncanson, Gerard LaneThe Open Golf Championship: "Final Round of Jack Nicklaus" BBC Two2007 F1: Hungarian Grand Prix: "Jenson Button's First Win" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|ITV |- | Cricket On Five || Jeff Foulser, Gary Franses, Dylan Jane, Diana Keen || Five |- | The Boat Race || John Watts, Tony Pastor, John McKenna, Phil Heslop || ITV |- | Winter Olympics || BBC Sport Production Team || BBC Two |- |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|2008 || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|ITV F1: Canadian Grand Prix Live Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane, Kevin Chapman, Steve Aldous ITV Wimbledon: The Men's Final Paul Davies, Carl Hicks, Jonathan Bramley, Bethan Evans BBC One Boat Race John Watts, Tony Pastor, Paul McNamara, John McKenna ITV Rugby World Cup 2007: England v France Semi-Final David Moss, Simon Moore, Paul McNamara2009 ITV1 F1: Brazilian Grand Prix 2008 Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane, Steve Aldous, Steve Rider ITV Cheltenham Gold Cup: "Denman v Kauto Star" Andrew Franklin, John Fairley, Denise Large, Sophie Veats Channel 4Olympics 2008 BBC One Wimbledon 2008: The Men's Final
2010s Best Sport Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2010 World Athletics Championships BBC Two/BBC Sport FA Cup Final Simon Moore, Paul McNamara, John Watts ITV/ITV Sports UEFA Champions League Live Tony Pastor, John Watts, Paul McNamaraF1 - The Brazilian Grand Prix BBC Two/BBC Sport2011 Formula 1: The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix BBC Two/BBC Sport FA Cup Final: Chelsea v Portsmouth Tony Pastor, Paul McNamara, Jamie Oakford, Rob Hollier ITV/ITV SportsSix Nations: "Wales v England" BBC Two/BBC SportWimbledon 2010
Best Sport and Live Event Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2012 The Royal Wedding BBC One Frankenstein's Wedding: Live in Leeds Meredith Chambers, Pat Connor, Richard Fell, Eleanor Moran BBC Three Rugby World Cup Final Phil Heslop, Paul McNamara, Tony Pastor, Roger Pearce ITV Tour de France 2011 Steve Docherty, Gary Imlach, James Venner, Carolyn Viccari ITV42013 The London 2012 Paralympic Games Channel 4 The London 2012 Olympics: "Super Saturday" BBC OneThe London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isle of WonderWimbledon 2012: "Men's Final"2014 The Ashes 2013: "1st Test, Day 5" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Sky Sports |- | colspan="2"|Wimbledon Men's Final || BBC One/BBC Sport |- | colspan="2"|Glastonbury 2013 || BBC |- | colspan="2"|Bollywood Carmen Live || BBC Three |- |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|2015 || colspan="2" style="background:#B0C4DE;"|WW1 Remembered – From the Battlefield & Westminster Abbey BBC Two 2014 FA Cup Semi Final: Hull City v Sheffield United BT Sport 1Monty Python (Mostly) Live: One Down, Five to Go Gold Tour de France, 2014, Stage 1 Steve Docherty, Carolyn Viccari, James Venner, Gary Imlach ITV
Best Sport Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2016 The Ashes Bryan Henderson, Mark Lynch, David Lloyd, Ian Ward Sky Sports The Grand National Carl Hicks, Denise Large, Sophie Veats, Nick Lightfoot Channel 4 MOTD Live: "FA Cup Final" Andrew Clement, Richard Hughes, Ian Finch, Chris Grubb BBC OneSix Nations: Final Day2017 The Open Sky Sports 1 Rio 2016 Olympics BBC OneRio 2016 Paralympics Channel 4 Six Nations: "England v Wales" Paul McNamara, Phil Heslop, David Francis, Mark Demuth ITV2018 The Grand National Paul McNamara, Richard Willoughby, Amy Lewin, Tony Cahalane ITV Anthony Joshua v. Wladimir Klitschko Adam Smith, Ed Robinson, Sara Chenery, Jennie Blackmore Sky Sports Box OfficeSix Nations: "Wales v. England" BBC One Uefa Women's Euro Semi-Final: England v. Netherlands Sunil Patel, Mark Cole, Kay Satterley, Ian Finch Channel 42019 2018 World Cup Quarter Final: England v Sweden BBC One 2018 Six Nations: "Scotland v England" BBC OneEngland's Test Cricket - Cook's Farewell Sky SportsWinter Olympics BBC Two
2020s Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2020 2019 Rugby World Cup Final: England v South Africa Phil Heslop, David Francis, Mark Demuth, Paul McNamara ITVICC Cricket World Cup Final Sky Sports Cricket Fifa Women's World Cup 2019 Semi-Final: England v USA Frank Callaghan, Stu Hutchison, Pete Burton, Rebekah Kipps BBC OneWimbledon 20192021 England v West Indies Test Cricket Sky Sports Cricket2020 Bahrain Grand Prix Sky Sports F1England v France: The Final of Autumn Nations Cup Amazon Prime Video London Marathon 2020 Alastair McIntyre, Micky Payne, Matthew Griffiths, Adam Duncan BBC One2022 The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sky Sports Formula 1 ITV Racing: The Grand National Mark Demuth, Paul McNamara, Paul Cooper, Tasleem Hasham-Laywood, Rob Oldham, Jon Harris ITV Sport/ITV UEFA EURO 2020 Semi-Final: England v Denmark Mark Demuth, Paul McNamara, Phil Heslop, Maggie Price, Roger Pearce, Stuart SmithTokyo 2020 Olympics BBC Sport/BBC One2023 UEFA Women's Euro 2022 BBC One Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games BBC One Wimbledon 2022
Best Sport Event Coverage Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2024 Cheltenham Festival: "Day One" || style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Richard Willoughby, Paul McNamara, Mark Demuth, Bridget Toomey, Rob Oldham, Dionne Robinson-Smith, Andrew Hill || style="background:#B0C4DE;"| ITV1|- | colspan="2"| MOTV Live: FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 || rowspan="2"| BBC One |- | colspan="2"| Wimbledon 2023: "Men's final" |- | rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|2025 || style="background:#B0C4DE;" colspan="2"| Paris 2024 Olympics BBC One Euro 2024 BBC One Wimbledon 20242026 UEFA Women's Euro 2025 BBC One The 2025 Ryder Cup Sky Sports The FA Cup Final Richard Hughes, Sarah Williams, Nicola Kirk, Stephen Lyle, Andrew Clement, Emma White BBC One Wimbledon 2025
Note: The series that don't have recipients on the tables had Production team credited as recipients for the award or nomination.
References
External links List of winners at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts