The BBC is set to offer audiences its most comprehensive coverage of a Winter Olympics Games ever from Sochi 2014 with over 200 hours of network TV coverage.
BBC Radio 5 live will also bring live reports of the key moments from the 11th Winter Paralympic Games held 7-16 March
Although there will be no winter sports stars, but rather BBC sports stalwarts Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine and Jonathan Edwards leading the TV presentation team, five-time Olympian and Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell and former British Olympian Emma Carrick-Anderson will be on the BBC team along with Olympic Gold medallist ice skater Robin Cousins, curler Jackie Lockhart, Olympic skeleton bobsleigh gold medallist Amy Williams and speed skater Wilf O’Reilly.
Beginning on 7 February and running for 17 days, this will be the 15th Winter Olympics to be broadcast by the BBC. Television, radio, online and mobile coverage will combine to give audiences extensive access to live action, key moments, highlights, interviews and analysis throughout the Games. Up to six live streams online covering every event, available on PC, tablet, mobile and connected TV.
Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine and Jonathan Edwards will present live from Sochi every day, 0700 to 1900 on BBC Two and BBC Two HD. Clare will then round up the day’s action with a daily highlights programme, 1900 to 2000 on BBC Two and BBC Two HD, weekend schedules may vary.
Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood bring all the snowboarding and freestyle skiing action. The biathlon, cross country, Nordic combined and ski jumping events will be covered by Patrick Winterton and Rob Walker.
All of Team GB’s medal moments will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 live. In Sochi for 5 live will be Chris Mitchell, Eleanor Oldroyd and Will Perry who will present all the main events and races live and as they happen throughout the day across 5 live’s daytime schedules. As well as the big Team GB moments, the presentation team will be joined by other BBC experts to deliver all the latest news, interviews and reaction from the tournament. A daily podcast will also be available for audiences to download at the end of each day at bbc.co.uk/5live to take away to catch up.
“The extensive coverage across TV, radio, digital and online, coupled with our superb presenting line-up, offers audiences the unparalleled coverage of a major sporting event that they expect from us,” said Barbara Slater, BBC Sport Director, “I’m delighted that we are once again able to bring every moment live to audiences, building on the success of our coverage of the Summer Games in London.”
