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British tennis legend Andy Murray has revealed he turned down BBC punditry work at Wimbledon because of the broadcaster's 'down-the-middle' coverage - and plans to become a YouTuber instead.
The two-time Wimbledon champion and his brother Jamie have launched a Youtube channel - and in the first episode of ‘The Set’ they will teach superstar influencer KSI how to play tennis.
Ever since his retirement in 2024, Murray has been the dream target for the BBC to add to their roster of Wimbledon pundits. He did a guest spot for them in 2018, when he was out injured, but did not greatly enjoy it.
And with the Set, he has made a decisive move away from traditional sports broadcasting.
‘I just have always found tennis commentary and coverage to be quite down the middle,’ Andy told the Telegraph as he launches the Set. ‘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.’
Andy Murray (pictured in 2018) says the BBC's Wimbledon coverage is 'down the middle'
He says he will not work for the network because their coverage isn't 'interesting or insightful'
Murray is launching a new tennis podcast on YouTube called The Set with his brother
The BBC on Thursday announced an extension to their deal to broadcast Wimbledon until 2033. Next year’s event will mark 100 years of the Beeb’s coverage of the Championships.
Video streaming site Youtube has become a major player in sports content, especially as a younger audience trend away from traditional broadcasting, and the most famous brothers in British sport are the last athletes to make their move.
Wimbledon’s free-to-air future has been secured after the All England Club and the BBC announced an extension to their current broadcast deal until at least 2033.
The current deal was due to expire next year – the 100th anniversary of the BBC’s first coverage of the Championships in 1927 – but officials on both sides were keen for it to continue.
All England Club chair Deborah Jevons said: 'We are delighted to extend our historic partnership with the BBC through to 2033.
'For nearly a century, we have worked together to bring the magic of Wimbledon to generations of fans in the UK.
'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.'
Andy said, as part of a press release for the new show: ‘I am a big fan of the YouTube content that sports stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Pietersen are creating and have thought for a long time that there is space in tennis for something similar.
‘I love tennis and I’ve always tried to have fun whilst playing and so I’m excited to share that side of the sport with tennis fans. I’ve also always been really interested in the stats and the data behind sport, the expert insights and the small percentages that can make a difference, so we’ll be delving into that as well as the light-hearted stuff.’
With his deep knowledge of the game and dry Scotch humour, Andy could be ideally suited to the more freewheeling platform of Youtube. He has been a guest on Pietersen’s channel as well as the Fore Brothers’ golf podcast.
Jamie retired in April and has contrastingly dived head first into commentating, working at the French Open and for the BBC this coming Wimbledon. ‘Tennis is a global sport with limitless stories,’ he said. ‘It’s been great working with my brother on the initial content; our goal is to evolve the channel based on what the fans actually want to see. We’ve got big ideas for where this can go.’
The Set is produced by Prodigy Studios, the team behind football show The Overlap, and sports super-agency IMG. The channel will be ‘a mix of expert masterclasses, challenges, road trips, behind-the-scenes access into the world of tennis and sport, and personality-driven content with global superstars’.
The first episode, titled: Can We Turn KSI into a Pro Tennis Player?, will air this week.
A trailer shows the Murray brothers coaching KSI and attempting to return serves with various household objects - including a bin lid and a copy of their mother Judy’s book.
Murray has also been coaching British tennis star Jack Draper ahead of Wimbledon next week
Alongside his new YouTube venture, Murray has been coaching British tennis star Jack Draper, who is set to make his return at Wimbledon next week after being kept on the sidelines since April with a knee injury.
Draper, who won his first competitive match in months by defeating American Marcos Giron 6-4 7-6 (7-5) at Eastbourne on Monday, said: 'I'm really grateful to Andy that he's chosen to help me and wants to help me.
'Today was a performance a bit like what he used to do - winning ugly.'
Murray's decision to snub the BBC comes after Andrew Castle revealed that this year will be his last as a commentator at Wimbledon, following more than two decades with the mic.
Castle, 62, labelled his role as the 'best gig in sports broadcasting as he told The Times: 'It's been a hell of a journey. I can't say I have enjoyed every minute because there have been moments of pressure and controversy, but it has been a huge privilege.
'To be honest, when I got the job 23 years ago, a lot of the more experienced commentators felt that they should have been first in line. Their noses were put out of joint. So, in the wider scheme of things, I am lucky that I had the best gig in sports broadcasting for so long, during the greatest age of men's tennis.'
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