Warwickshire County Cricket Club Chief Executive Neil Snowball has expressed his delight at today’s announcement that Birmingham will play host to the most eagerly anticipated awards night on this year’s sporting calendar, BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will once again be at the helm to celebrate the biggest sporting achievements with a star-studded event broadcast live from the Genting Arena on Sunday 18 December.
Neil Snowball, said: “Birmingham is developing a fantastic reputation for its hosting of major sporting events and we’re delighted to see BBC Sports Personality of the Year return to the Genting Arena.
“The collaborative approach between the city council and key event stakeholders has made visiting Birmingham for sporting events a great experience.
“The 2016 sporting year has already created many great moments for our athletes and teams and hopefully we will continue to see England’s Test and limited overs team continue their great form and be candidates for the prestigious awards.”
Birmingham last hosted the show six years ago and 2016 marks a welcome return. A city with a rich sporting heritage and birthplace of the English Football League, Birmingham is a world-famous destination for international competitive sports from athletics and cricket to tennis.
Director of BBC Sport, Barbara Slater, says: “This has already been an extraordinary year of sport, and with so much more still to come, we’re in for a very special Sports Personality of the Year. Our past visits to Birmingham have been a great success and we’ve no doubt that will be repeated with this year’s show.”
Director of BBC Academy and BBC Birmingham, Joe Godwin, says: “From the Ashes at Edgbaston to the Ryder Cup at the Belfry and athletics at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham is no stranger to hosting world-class sporting events and we’re honoured to be rolling out the red carpet for BBC Sports Personality of The Year. The city has a zealous population of sports-mad fans and is home to many sporting greats, so we’re looking forward to giving the event the celebration it deserves.”
Last year saw Davis Cup winner and former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray pick up the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award at the SSE Arena in Belfast, watched by nearly 10 million viewers. 2016 has already produced some incredible sporting moments, from Leicester City’s fairy-tale Premier League title success, to watching three of our home nations compete in Euro 2016, plus England’s Grand Slam in the Six Nations and Danny Willett’s Masters victory. And, with the Rio Olympics, Paralympics and Ryder Cup on the horizon, there are certain to be lots of great contenders for the award.
The prestigious ceremony will be shown on BBC One and BBC One HD and ticket details will be revealed by the BBC soon.
