London 2012 Olympics

BBC to re-air London 2012 during coronavirus lockdown

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 1mo

The BBC announces plans to rebroadcast the London 2012 opening ceremony, as well as classic football and Wimbledon matches.

The BBC has outlined plans to re-broadcast the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics this summer during the coronavirus lockdown.

Almost all live sport has been cancelled worldwide for the foreseeable future, with this year's Tokyo Olympics and the Euro 2020 tournament both pushed back to 2021.

ITV has already unveiled plans to re-air Euro '96 in the absence of live football and now the BBC has also decided to broadcast vintage sports in the months ahead.

The 2012 Olympics opening ceremony will air again in full, alongside extensive highlights of that summer and the most recent Games, held in Rio in 2016.

Classic football matches will be broadcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, while there are also plans to show classic Wimbledon matches from decades past.

"In these unprecedented and difficult times we are delighted to bring some of the most incredible sporting events from years gone by to our audiences over the next few months," said Barbara Slater, the BBC's director of sport.

"From glorious moments at the Olympics including the magic of London 2012, thrilling Euro '96 matches, wonderful Wimbledon moments and the best of World Championship snooker, there is something for everyone to enjoy."

Almost 1 million people worldwide have now tested positive for COVID-19, with more than 49,000 losing their lives.