Sir Murray Picks YouTube Over the BBC Booth

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Sir Andy Murray could have got any punditry gig for Wimbledon that he wanted. He would have walked into the BBC booth. Instead, Sir Andy and brother Jamie Murray have started a YouTube channel, The Set. It is a perfect demonstration of where modern sports media is going.

The two-time Wimbledon champion told The Telegraph‘s Simon Briggs why he has followed the creator, not commentator, route. “I just have always found tennis commentary and coverage to be quite down the middle,” he said. “I don’t necessarily find it that interesting or that insightful. It’s not something that I really fancy doing, unless it was done in a very different way, and I don’t necessarily think that would happen at Wimbledon.”

It is hard to argue with Sir Andy’s YouTube approach. His channel is being produced by the team behind Gary Neville’s hugely successful The Overlap. There is almost certainly more money in building that than taking up a BBC pundit gig. They already have a big name sponsor – Vodafone.

In his interview, Sir Andy also talked about how much fun he has had working with other creators, such as the Fore Bros. He may well end up on mainstream linear channels during Wimbledon, but he is not Tim Henman. He’s got a dry sense of humour that will work better in its own space than in a studio or stuffy BBC commentary booth.

BBC locks in Wimbledon, as Sir Andy Murray Chooses YouTube

Ironically, the announcement from the Murray brothers comes on the same day that the BBC announced that they have extended their partnership with Wimbledon until 2033. Coverage of The Championships will remain across BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app, and BBC Sport’s social channels.

“This agreement reflects our absolute commitment to ensuring Wimbledon remains freely available to the widest possible audience across the nation, enabled by the breadth and reach of the BBC’s platforms, and their clear and continued ambition to enhance the audience experience,” said Deborah Jevans, Chair of the All England Club.

The BBC itself seems to understand the direction of travel, though. It is collaborating with sports creators, although not on tennis (yet). Instead, the corporation has joined up with the Sidemen for a live watch-along of Ecuador v Germany tonight. Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “Millions of fans now follow football through creators, streams and social platforms alongside traditional broadcasts. This is about bringing those worlds together.”

Those worlds are coming together, whether that is influencers playing on ITV’s Soccer Aid or Mark Goldbridge getting Bundesliga rights. For now, though, Sir Andy Murray has decided he is distinctly in the YouTube world.