The BBC took over Glastonbury television coverage from Channel 4 in 1997.
The change occurred when the festival returned after its 1996 fallow year. The 1997 event was heavily affected by rain, turning the Worthy Farm site into a vast muddy bog, but it also established the BBC as a major broadcaster of Glastonbury performances and atmosphere.
That year’s coverage accompanied a festival attended by about 90,000 people, with tickets costing £75 including the official programme. The BBC was also a major sponsor alongside The Guardian.
The 1997 festival is especially remembered for Radiohead’s headline performance on the Pyramid Stage. The broadcaster later released selected performances on the compilation Mud For It, helping preserve the event’s reputation as one of the festival’s landmark editions. Channel 4 had televised the festival before the handover, while ITV, MTV and Sky Arts were not the answer to this specific 1997 change.