EBU filming guidelines used for first time at European Athletics Championships in Birmingham

The European Broadcasting Union's new guidelines on respectful camera angles were used for the first time by broadcasters at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Monday, 10 August 2026. The guidance, developed after discussions with female athletes, was applied as the championships got under way at Alexander Stadium and aims to reduce sexualising shots in live coverage.

The rules, released last month, set out 'positive' and 'negative' angles and advise against low camera positions underneath athletes in events such as the high jump or pole vault. They were created in consultation with athletes including Holly Bradshaw, Ivana Spanovic and Blanka Vlasic. The BBC is a partner in the EBU, which provides coverage of sporting events to 57 countries and reaches audiences of more than a billion people.

British pole vaulter Molly Caudery, a two-time world indoor champion, told BBC Newsbeat: "It's not controversial, it's a very sensible decision. It is a positive guidance and change. "I have experienced it. For this to change for up-and-coming athletes is such a positive change. "In pole vault, there are so many angles you can film from, so just taking one out is not going to be an issue. "It will hopefully lead to everyone just focusing on performance."

Former middle-distance athlete Hannah England, who helped develop the guidance, said: "To be blunt, if you go on the internet and search certain athletes, you get bombarded with clips of them competing in compromising positions. That's just not OK." On implementation she added: "It is hard to broadcast athletics. You could be on a safe shot of an athlete and they then need to tie their shoe or pick up a piece of equipment, and you can't anticipate that. "You can't hold people to a super-high standard in an environment that's impossible to police, so I think guidelines are 100% the way to go."

British Olympic bronze medallist Bradshaw, who advised the EBU, described receiving abuse and seeing inappropriate footage online as a result of revealing angles during live coverage. She said: "How our sport is displayed during live broadcast can be incredibly powerful, yet sometimes harmful to the women competing and the women [and] girls watching." She added: "I first-hand have received social media abuse and witnessed inappropriate videos online of myself and colleagues when slow-motion content of us competing is captured." Bradshaw also said: "Many athletes, myself included have been in competitive scenarios where they are more focused on the cameras instead of their own performance. "On too many occasions cameras are zoomed in, showing super slow-motion action replays of athletes in undignified positions."

Serbian Olympic long jumper Spanovic, another adviser to the EBU, warned certain cameras can cause discomfort and have "serious long-term effects on an athlete's mental health". EBU Sport executive director Glen Killane said: "The sexualisation of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices continues to be a significant concern across many sports broadcasts. "Lingering shots on bodies, low-angle cameras that capture revealing views, and excessive slow-motion replays that serve no technical or storytelling purpose are among the issues observed in the media coverage of women's athletics competitions today."

While the new guidance has been implemented at the European Athletics Championships, the Diamond League does not go through the EBU and, although it is also broadcast on the BBC, would not necessarily have to adhere to the guidance.