The BBC has announced a new three-year agreement to broadcast the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) across the UK. The collaboration will bring live coverage of every round of the global motorsport series to audiences from 2027 through to 2029, as it has claimed in a statement.

The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of motorsport’s most demanding disciplines, taking drivers and cars to the limit across some of the world’s most challenging terrain, including snow, ice to gravel, asphalt and extreme heat.

The coverage will be delivered as a collaboration between BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland, combining expertise, talent and shared resources from across the Nations.

The agreement will see the BBC provide 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. Audiences will be able to follow all the action on BBC iPlayer.

Digital rights are also included, enabling content to be shared across other BBC platforms. Dates for the 2027 FIA World Rally Championship will be confirmed shortly by the FIA.

Features

• Five live stages plus the Power Stage on all WRC rounds.
• Fourteen 60-minute highlights programmes.
• Extensive live coverage of Rally Scotland across all four days of competition.
• Digital clips, highlights and additional content across BBC platforms.

The deal includes coverage of the new Rally Scotland, as the Aberdeenshire-based event makes its FIA World Rally Championship debut in 2027. It will mark the first time the UK has hosted a WRC round since 2019.

Rhuanedd Richards Director, BBC Nations comments: “This is a fantastic addition to our sports portfolio with teams across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland coming together to bring audiences one of the world’s most thrilling motorsport championships. The World Rally Championship combines elite sporting competition with dramatic locations and compelling stories, making it a natural fit for the BBC”.

“The return of Rally Scotland to the WRC calendar is particularly exciting and we look forward to capturing all the thrills and excitement for audiences when it kicks off next year”, he continues.

Éric Boullier, CEO of WRC Promoter, adds: “Our partnership with the BBC marks an important step in our strategy to grow the WRC’s reach and visibility in the UK. The BBC is one of the country’s most trusted and influential media organisations, and its powerful combination of television, digital and social platforms gives us a unique opportunity to reconnect with existing rally fans while introducing the championship to a new generation. With Rally Scotland joining the calendar next year, the timing could not be better to strengthen the WRC’s presence in such an important and historic market for rallying”.

Hugh Chambers, CEO of Motorsport UK, the organisation behind Rally Scotland, concludes: “Bringing the World Rally Championship back to the UK is a major moment for our sport, and this BBC agreement gives it the national platform it deserves. Free-to-air coverage will help us reach long-standing fans, welcome new audiences and show why the WRC’s return in 2027 is such an important step for British motorsport”.