Sky Sports' Wakeling stays on as more sports are added

by Sam Matthews,, Brand Republic 06-Sep-04, 12:10

LONDON - Sky Sports managing director Vic Wakeling is to stay on at the broadcaster until 2008 and has signaled that sailing and equestrian sports will be introduced to this year's £720m schedule, following Britain's success at the Olympics.

Sky Sports has always been the home of football but with this year's £720m annual budget, Wakeling, who has just signed a four-year contract with Sky, is hoping to expand the channel's portfolio of sporting events.

Wakeling said, in an interview with The Guardian today, that Sky Sports was negotiating at the moment on several fronts.

"One of them has a more female interest, another is a blokey sport. You have got to widen the audience. Sailing is one of the things we are looking at. The things you can do with cameras, data, with virtual action is absolutely amazing. We are looking at equestrianism," he said.

Sky Sports is diversifying its sports coverage following a terrible summer as sports fans favoured terrestrial coverage of Euro 2004 and the Athens Olympics.

Britain won several medals in equestrian events in Athens, led by the gold picked up by Leslie Law, while Matthew Pinsent led Britain's rowers to gold glory in a nail-biting finish.

This month's Sky Sports schedule, dubbed "Super September", will see the Ryder Cup golf competition and US Open tennis tournament feature alongside cricket tournament, the ICC Champion Trophy.

Football will also prevail with the World Cup qualifying matches, the Uefa Champions League and The Premiership to keep football pundits happy.

Wakeling revealed he is trying to retain Sky Sports dominance over Premier League rights when negotiations take place in 2006.

However, the European Commission is expected to introduce rights that are divided between broadcasters -- preventing Sky's current monopoly, and explaining why the channel feels the need to branch out into other sporting arenas.

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