BBC turns down chance to show historic Copa América game for free

The BBC turned down the opportunity to show what could have been a historic America’s Cup match between Great Britain and New Zealand, despite offering the footage for free, Telegraph sport he understands.

The national broadcaster could still reach a deal for the final part of the series if Ineos Britannia is OK.

The action is due to start on Saturday with two races, but the BBC has refused to commit to live coverage this weekend, or highlights, after failing to reach an agreement with Copa America organisers.

Telegraph sport it was reported that there were problems with the brand in the global feed. Even a “compliant” feed with minimized branding was considered a problem, although the BBC could remove or hide the offending element.

The BBC may still cover the last part of the series, but will probably only do so if Ineos Britannia is doing well.

The races will be broadcast live on TNT Sports, as well as on YouTube and the America’s Cup website, as has been the case throughout the Challenger series.

A BBC spokesperson declined to comment but said BBC Sport would cover the event through digital news and reporting.