The BBC has admitted that it has yet to reach an agreement to broadcast the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi despite claims in India that rights deals with Australian and UK broadcasters had exceeded its revenue target.Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of Delhi's local organising committee, said last month that it had earned £37.5 million - £12.5 milion more than its original target - after striking "good deals with broadcasters in Australia and Britain."
Australian broadcasters' Network Ten and Foxtel announced two years ago that they had secured TV rights for Delhi in a shared deal. However the BBC, who traditionally covers the event, said: "Negotiations are still ongoing and have yet to be finalised."
Two weeks ago a senior Whitehall source told the Daily Telegraph that there was "virtually no chance" that Team England team would be sent to India following security fears over the Delhi event.
The BBC refused to comment over fears that the broadcaster may be waiting for assurances from Commonwealth officials that the squad would be travelling in September before committing to any rights deal.
In November, Scottish first minister Alex Salmond attacked the BBC for failing to commit to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Glasgow’s bid was primarily based on the BBC being host broadcaster but a £20 million hole in their budget now looms large as a result of the recommendation to drop the Commonwealth Games from Britain’s protected list of television's free-to-air sporting events.
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