OLYMPIC fans have criticised the BBC's coverage of the Toyko Games after Eurosport secured the bulk of the viewing rights.
The Beeb is only allowed to show two sports at the same time and will broadcast just over 350 hours of coverage, a significant drop from Rio.
The national broadcaster reportedly showed more than 3,000 hours of coverage from the last Games in 2016 thanks to their exclusive rights.
Eurosport's parent company Discovery secured the European broadcasting rights for the Olympics in 2015, with the deal coming into play three years later.
Discovery have sold back some of the rights to the BBC, allowing the Games to remain on free-to-air TV – but only around 10 per cent of the action.
The rest of the coverage will be available to purchase on the Eurosport Player and app, as well as via Discovery+.
The BBC's limited action means there are no live streams of the action, denying licence-fee payers the freedom to choose which sport to watch.
It's unclear whether the BBC will have greater coverage for future Games, such as for the Winter Olympics in February.
Fans based in Britain will be watching the Olympics throughout the night, with action starting around 11pm concluding approximately 12 hours later.
FANS FRUSTRATION
Several fans have taken to social media to share their annoyance, with one tweeting: "No individual steams, so the fun of choosing which obscure sport to watch is no more."
Another wrote: "Absolutely disgusted with the BBC coverage… they are showing cycling and rowing everywhere."
And one asked: "I've been lokking forward to watching the Olympics but for some reason I can't find a live event for the Judo final.
"You only have a few events to choose from, why is that?"
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Lead BBC presenter Dan Walker explained the broadcaster's lack of coverage via social media on Saturday morning.
He wrote: "I know we've got used to being able to see every sport – on various streams – at the Olympics.
"But, this time, the BBC is only allowed to show two sports at the same time. It is an issue about TV rights and not an editorial choice."
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