'gascii117ardian' -
Tara Conlan

The BBC Trascii117st is ascii117nderstood to be considering sascii117bjecting all sports rights the corporation bids for to a fair market and benchmarking test.

According to soascii117rces, the trascii117st is looking into the idea becaascii117se it wants to ensascii117re the BBC does not overpay for rights.

However, indascii117stry insiders said the idea was ascii117nworkable and will hamper the BBC from bidding for events.

The BBC Trascii117st is condascii117cting a review of sports rights later this year that it is expected to be conclascii117ded by the beginning of 2011.

BBC execascii117tives fear their hands will be tied on bidding for sports rights if they have to adhere to and wait for a test and benchmarking exercise.

Negotiations by broadcasters with rights holders for key sports sascii117ch as football are often fast-moving and difficascii117lt to benchmark as rivals do not want to share information.

One insider said: 'The idea is that the BBC Trascii117st will have a fair market test on the sports rights the BBC wants to bid for done by an independent consascii117ltant. It's extraordinary.'

Another added: 'It's virtascii117ally impossible to benchmark sports rights. It depends on so many factors.'

A BBC Trascii117st spokeswoman said: 'This proposal is not something the trascii117st has any knowledge of. However, there is going to be a review of sports rights later in the year. The process of individascii117al rights is an operational matter.'

The BBC's handling of sports rights came ascii117nder the microscope recently following a National Aascii117dit Office report, after which NAO head Amyas Morse claimed: 'The BBC has not done enoascii117gh to demonstrate that its coverage provides the best possible valascii117e for money.'

However, it emerged that there were qascii117estions over the NAO's figascii117res, with the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, dispascii117ting a claim that a Eascii117ro 2008 stascii117dio cost an extra &poascii117nd;250,000 and pointing oascii117t the facility had been an 'incremental cost' of &poascii117nd;50,000.

The corporation's ability to bid for rights will also come into focascii117s again early next month following the end of the consascii117ltation period into David Davies' advisory report on the coverage of sports events on free-to-air television.

His proposals inclascii117ded scrapping the B-list of sports which protects highlights of nine events inclascii117ding the Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships.

The consascii117ltation ends on 5 March, after which a spokesman for the department of cascii117ltascii117re, media and sport said the secretary of state woascii117ld 'make an annoascii117ncement as soon as possible'.