BBC to broadcast FIA World Rally Championship, Wales 2026

Key Points

• BBC has entered into a three-year agreement to televise the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) free-to-air on its channel network in the UK until 2029.
• It will include all 14 races in the WRC every year, with five live stages including the Power Stage in each race and 14 hour-long highlights shows.
• Rally Scotland, set to make its WRC comeback in 2027 after its last appearance in 2019, will receive extensive live coverage during all four days of the competition.
• Elfyn Evans, the leader in the 2026 WRC championship and a Welsh driver, called the agreement “excellent news” and “fantastic news for the sport”.
• The deal is made in cooperation between BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales, and BBC Northern Ireland, and the content will be available both on television and on BBC iPlayer.
• Currently, UK WRC races are shown by TNT Sports and ITV; the BBC deal is the return of the WRC on free-to-air television since 2001.

Wales (Wales Times) September 19, 2026 – The BBC has announced a landmark three-year agreement to broadcast the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) across the United Kingdom from 2027 to 2029, restoring live, free-to-air coverage of the global motorsport series to British audiences. Under the deal, the broadcaster will cover all 14 rounds of each WRC season, featuring five live stages plus the decisive Power Stage from every rally, alongside 14 one-hour highlights programmes, digital clips and additional content across BBC platforms including BBC iPlayer.

As reported by the BBC’s own media centre, the agreement will deliver “comprehensive coverage of all WRC rounds each season, including live stages from every rally, the decisive Power Stage, highlights programmes, and extensive coverage of Rally Scotland”. The arrangement is structured as a collaborative effort between BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland, ensuring content is tailored and distributed across the nations.

Why is the BBC deal significant for UK rally fans?

The BBC’s return to WRC broadcasting ends a 25-year absence of live, free-to-air coverage of the championship in the UK, with the last such arrangement dating back to 2001. In 2026, UK audiences have been reliant on pay-TV and subscription services, with TNT Sports and ITV providing coverage. The new deal shifts WRC back into the free-to-air domain, potentially expanding viewership and accessibility for motorsport fans who previously faced barriers to watching live stages and highlights.

According to Sportcal, the three-season agreement between the BBC and the WRC Promoter (the series owner, recently acquired) ensures “live, free-to-air, coverage of every WRC round (but not of the entirety of all races) between 2027 and 2029”. This means while not every kilometre of every stage will be shown live, audiences will still receive substantial live action from each event, including the critical Power Stage that often influences championship points.

How will Rally Scotland feature in the BBC’s WRC coverage?

A centrepiece of the BBC’s WRC package is the extensive live coverage of Rally Scotland, which is set to return to the WRC calendar in autumn 2027 as the country’s first WRC round since 2019. Motorsport UK confirmed that Rally Scotland will receive “extensive live coverage across all four days of competition”, giving UK audiences “live, free-to-air access to the country’s first WRC round since 2019”.

The event’s new identity, revealed alongside the BBC announcement, links the Scottish Saltire with the tread pattern of a World Rally Car tyre, signalling a refreshed brand for the rally’s WRC debut. The BBC deal ensures that all four days of Rally Scotland will be covered live, a significant boost for Scottish motorsport and a key element of the broadcaster’s commitment to national representation within the WRC package.

What has Elfyn Evans said about the BBC WRC deal?

Elfyn Evans, the Gwynedd-born Toyota driver who leads the 2026 WRC championship standings, has publicly welcomed the BBC’s announcement. As reported by WalesOnline, Evans told the BBC: “I think it’s excellent news for the sport,” adding, “It’s been a long wait, and we’ve all been eager to see it return to the BBC. As a child, that was how we kept up with it.”

Evans further emphasised the national dimension of the coverage, stating: “It’s wonderful that the coverage is being shared across the nations. There’s definitely interest in Wales regarding my performance, and with Rally Scotland set to return in 2027, I believe there are many thrilling developments in the World Rally Championship. Having it freely available on the BBC is excellent news.” His comments underscore the personal and regional significance of the deal, particularly for Welsh audiences who have followed his championship campaign closely.

What content will the BBC show from each WRC round?

The BBC’s WRC package is designed to deliver both live action and curated highlights across the season. According to the BBC’s sport coverage details, each season will feature:

• Five live stages plus the Power Stage from every rally.
• Fourteen one-hour highlight programmes, one for each round.
• Digital clips and additional content distributed across BBC platforms, including BBC iPlayer.
• Extensive live coverage of Rally Scotland’s four competition days.

Crash.net reported that the BBC will present “coverage of all rounds of the 2027–2029 rounds, as well as extensive programming for Rally Scotland”, with content available on TV and online. This multi-platform approach aims to maximise reach and engagement, particularly among younger audiences who consume sport digitally.

Background: How did WRC broadcasting evolve in the UK before this deal?

The FIA World Rally Championship has had a fluctuating broadcasting history in the UK. The BBC previously held live rights to the WRC until 2001, after which coverage migrated to various pay-TV and free-to-air partners over the ensuing decades. In recent years, UK audiences have accessed WRC via TNT Sports and ITV, with some events available on subscription platforms and others on free-to-air but with limited live stages.

The 2027–2029 BBC deal marks the first time since 2001 that live WRC coverage returns to a free-to-air public service broadcaster in the UK. This shift aligns with broader trends in sports rights, where public broadcasters seek to retain flagship properties that drive mass audiences and fulfil public service remits. The inclusion of Rally Scotland also reflects the WRC’s strategic push to re-establish a UK round, last held in 2019, thereby strengthening the championship’s domestic footprint.

Prediction: How could the BBC WRC deal affect UK motorsport audiences and the sport’s growth?

The BBC’s free-to-air coverage is likely to broaden WRC’s audience base in the UK, particularly among casual viewers and younger demographics who may not subscribe to pay-TV sports packages. By placing live stages and highlights on a widely accessible platform, the deal could increase visibility for drivers like Elfyn Evans and elevate the profile of rallying relative to other motorsports.

For the sport itself, the BBC partnership may stimulate grassroots interest, especially in Wales and Scotland, where national representation and the return of Rally Scotland could inspire participation and local event attendance. However, because the BBC will not broadcast every kilometre of every stage live, some hardcore fans may still seek supplementary coverage via digital platforms or international feeds. Overall, the deal positions WRC for renewed mainstream exposure in the UK, with potential long-term benefits for sponsorship, fan engagement and the development of British rally talent.