The BBC is delighted to announce that Liverpool will host the biggest awards night in the sporting calendar, BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017.
Presenters Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will be back to present and celebrate the best sporting achievements from the past year in front of an audience of nearly 11,000, while broadcasting live to millions on BBC One, from Echo Arena Liverpool on Sunday 17 December.
Liverpool, which last hosted the awards in 2008, is home to two of the most famous football teams in the world, Everton and Liverpool, while Royal Birkdale this week stages golf’s Open Championship, one of the leading events on the global sporting calendar.
The city is also not shy of stars itself, having proudly produced the likes of football icons Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and world champion boxer Tony Bellew. Liverpool is sure to give the great and good of sport an incredible welcome.
Last year, Wimbledon men’s singles champion Andy Murray picked up the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award for a record third time in front of a 12,000-strong audience at Birmingham’s Genting Arena.
Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said: “2017 marks a very exciting year of sport. From England winning the Six Nations to Chelsea winning the Premier League, Arsenal scooping the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium to Anthony Joshua’s nail-biting knock out fight against Wladimir Klitschko.
“With plenty more highlights still to come we’re going to be spoiled for choice and the nominee list will once again be genuinely difficult to pull together.”
Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: “We’re honoured and excited to be rolling out the red carpet for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in Liverpool.
“We’re a city full of passionate sports fans and we’re renowned the world over for our hospitality, so we cannot wait to welcome the BBC in December.”
Ian Ayre, chair of The ACC Liverpool Group, which includes Echo Arena Liverpool, said: “We are honoured to host BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a second time in Echo Arena Liverpool.
“It was a great success when it was held here during the venue’s inaugural year and we are pleased to welcome back this prestigious event to Liverpool – a city with such an illustrious sporting heritage.”
The prestigious ceremony will be shown on BBC One and BBC One HD. Tickets will go on sale later this year.
For more information, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality