The Commonwealth Games are underway in Glasgow – but this is a stripped-back edition that has left organisers and athletes alike asking whether the event has a future.
The city stepped in to host after the Australian state of Victoria backed out, and as a result fewer sports are being contested than in previous Games, Channel 4 News reported.
“Stripped-down Commonwealth Games kick off in Glasgow after Victoria withdrawal, with no free TV coverage.”
For those competing, however, the excitement is building. “The athletes who are competing in Glasgow, the excitement is building,” the broadcaster’s Scotland correspondent Kathryn Samson said.
But for viewers at home, the feast of sport is no longer available on terrestrial television. According to The Scotsman, fans must pay £4.99 to watch every second of the action – a stark contrast to past editions that were free-to-air.
The question now is whether this scaled-down, pay-per-view model represents a triumphant return or a last hurrah for the Commonwealth Games.