The BBC has today announced that Whisper North has won the contract to produce BBC Sports Personality of the Year following a competitive tender.
The show was first put out to tender in 2019 as part of the BBC’s obligations to open the production of its key and flagship shows to competition. On that occasion, the contract awarded to its in-house production team, Sport Productions.
However, Sport Productions didn’t compete this time and Whisper North’s bid scored higher than that of other shortlisted tenderers against the published criteria.
Whisper North is part of the Sony-backed Whisper Group and is responsible for ITV’s recent revival of Wheel of Fortune while the wider group’s output includes Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage, Channel 5’s NFL End Zone and English language race coverage and programming for Formula E.
Whisper Managing Director, Mark Cole, commented: “BBC Sports Personality of the Year brings together many of the elements Whisper loves to produce and celebrate: live events, awards shows, sporting moments, superstars and entertainment.
“We celebrate sport and athletes across many productions throughout the year, so to be working with the BBC on this prestigious end of year show feels a fitting way to conclude what will be an incredible year of sporting achievement and endeavour.
“With the BBC, we will be seeking to deliver a bold and ambitious show that will appeal to a wide audience, driven by compelling and entertaining story-telling.”