However, that could prove a deeply unpopular move among armchair fans who have
already seen half of the Formula One world championship make the switch to
pay-TV, with live Test cricket now exclusively on Sky Sports.

BT, which has exclusive rights to the WTA Tour, has long been trying to fill
its schedule outside the football season. It has seen a number of
opportunities to do so go begging, with Sky
Sports denying it the rights to England rugby and International Cricket
Council tournaments in recent months.

The current Wimbledon contract expires in 2017 and it would be in any upcoming
negotiation that possible changes would be discussed.

The other listed events that are protected by legislation are the Olympic
Games, football’s World Cup and European Championship, the FA Cup and
Scottish Cup finals, the Grand National and the Derby, the Rugby World Cup
final and Rugby League Challenge Cup final.

Free-to-air highlights must also be shown for cricket Tests in England, all
other Rugby World Cup matches, Six Nations matches involving home countries,
the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships, the Cricket World Cup
final, semi-final and matches involving home countries, Ryder Cup golf, and
the The Open.

The BBC is also
at risk of losing highlights of Premier League football during the
broadcast rights auction that went out to tender on Friday. ITV is
understood to be preparing a bid to snatch that prize away from Match of the
Day, having itself lost the FA Cup to its arch-rival, while it also saw BT
Sport take Champions League football from next season, leaving it only with
England’s international matches.

BSkyB and BT Sport are expected to battle it out for the live rights to the
Premier League between 2016-19. Neither the BBC nor BT – whose sports
channels remain free to its broadband customers – were said to be commenting
last night on the prospect of them sharing Wimbledon.

It is also understood the All England Club is completely unaware of any move
in that direction. It would ultimately have the final say on whether it
would accept such a proposal and may take a dim view any BBC reluctance to
continue broadcasting the championships in its entirety. Were it to remain
wedded to free-to-air, that could open the door for the likes of ITV,
Channel 4 or Channel 5.