BBC goes global with the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay

The Queen’s Baton Relay will for the first time be covered by the BBC across its entire journey in all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

From 9 October 2013, when the Queen places her message within the baton to launch it on its international tour, the BBC will be producing documentaries, features and news updates – with online users able to chart the baton’s progress at bbc.co.uk.

Bruce Malcolm, BBC’s Head of Commonwealth Games, said: “It is very exciting to see the wide variety of programmes that will be covering the Queen’s Baton Relay, making sure everyone across the UK can be kept up to date with the journey. I am sure this will build excitement over the next year, and particularly when the baton arrives back on home turf.”

As well as following the baton, the BBC are already involved in a year-long learning project with the British Council and Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Class, which is a special initiative that provides teaching resources, online debates and interactive activities for schools to mark the run-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The first Queen’s Baton Relay was staged for the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff and has been the curtain raiser to the Games ever since.

The ABU has secured the rights to provide television coverage of the 2014 Commonwealth Games for the Asian Commonwealth nations of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius as well as for its non-Commonwealth members including Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.