Clare Balding lands BT chat show

Clare Balding has landed her own BT sport chat-show.

The rising popularity of the presenter and sporting expert has resulted in Balding being given her own weekly magazine series with BT Vision which will feature interviews, debates and news from the world of sport.

“I’d like to thank BT for giving me the opportunity to present my own magazine show. I ‘m enthused by BT’s vision for sports coverage in the future and particularly their support of women’s sport, an issue about which I feel very strongly. This is an exciting new venture for me and I can’t wait to get started.” – Clare Balding

BT Sport will launch this summer and will mostly be centred around the acquisition of Premier league football rights. BT Sport will broadcast 18 live games as well as “first rights” to 18 matches over the next three seasons. BT Sport will also hold the rights to rugby union and women’s tennis. It is widely seen as an attempt by BT to take on Sky Sports.

The chat-show is the latest project for Balding who is being kept busy with various pieces. As well as fronting Channel 4’s racing coverage Balding also has her own prime-time BBC series Britain’s Brightest. The “talent show” has struggled though in the ratings on Saturday evenings as it airs opposite ITV’s surprise hit Splash! which features Olympian Tom Daley.