BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra - Broadcast

Broadcast

The remit of BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra is to bring a greater choice of live action to sports fans by offering a part-time extension of BBC Radio 5 live. The service should aim to provide increased value for licence fee payers from the portfolio of sports rights already owned by the BBC by offering alternative coverage to that provided on other UK-wide BBC services. All output on 5 live Sports Extra should be live sports coverage.

— BBC Trust, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Remit

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra is broadcast only on digital platforms. Unlike sister station 5 Live, no analogue frequency is used. Instead, the service is only available on DAB Digital Radio and on Digital television through operators on satellite services, such as Sky, cable operators, such as Virgin Media, DTT services, such as Freeview, and on IPTV. The service is also available online through the BBC website, the sub-site BBC iPlayer service and the Radioplayer service part owned by the BBC. The BBC iPlayer service also re-broadcasts programmes for seven days after original broadcast. Due to rights restrictions, some programmes are only available to UK audiences or are not available on the BBC Website or iPlayer services.

The station is notable in that it is a part-time service, only airing throughout sports broadcasts. These broadcasts themselves are also live and uninterrupted, unlike Radio 5 Live which adds news bulletins and Radio 4 Longwave which adds the shipping forecast into coverage. When the station goes off-air, all broadcasts cease as the station does not simulcast any other broadcast, even the internet livestream stops; this is unusual on the BBC Radio network as nearly all radio stations now operate 24 hours a day or simulcast with another service - Radio 4 simulcasts with the BBC World Service and BBC Local Radio stations broadcast 5 Live when not on air. A side effect of this lack of simulcast is that those attempting to tune into the station with a DAB Digital Radio will often have difficulty finding the station.

The stations controller is Adrian Van Klaveren, who is also responsible for 5 Live and is answerable to the BBC North and BBC Audio & Music departments. The station operates from Quay House in MediaCityUK on a single floor alongside 5 Live. Although 5 Live Sports Extra uses no studio space, the teams required to organise the match coverage are shared with 5 Live. The move to Salford took two months, and occurred alongside 5 Live, in a bid to create a northern media hub and to outsource major production from London. Previously, 5 Live Sports Extra had been located alongside 5 Live in BBC Television Centre and spread over several floors.