The last time the Commonwealth Games was staged, two years ago in Birmingham, the BBC was so worried about enough big names showing up that it put in an unusual clause in its contract with the organisers. An insider takes up the story: “It was loosely worded, but it stated that if the big stars didn’t show up the BBC had the right to claw back some of its fee. But it was never used as once we had Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Peaty, the concerns went away.”
That vignette says a lot about the reduced status of the Commonwealth Games. Can you imagine athletes skipping any other major competition? Or a broadcaster wanting a similar clause for, say, the Olympics or Champions League?
