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Tennis great Martina Navratilova 'unhappy' with BBC's pay disparity

WION Web Team
Britain, United KingdomUpdated: Mar 20, 2018, 03:19 AM IST
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A file photo of Martina Navratilova. Photograph:(AFP)

59-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova recently revealed that she was paid at least 10-times less than her fellow Wimbledon pundit John McEnroe by BBC for their broadcasting roles at Wimbledon.

She accused the British broadcaster when they published the salaries of their highest-paid stars last July, in brackets of £50,000.

After analysing the salary brackets, she realised that her fellow presenter McEnroe's pay packet was between £150,000 and £199,999 which was comparatively more than her.

"It's shocking," Navratilova told the BBC's Panorama programme.

She also added, "It's still the good old boys network.... The bottom line is that male voices are valued more than women's voices."

Navratilova said her agent will ask for more money in future to work for the BBC.

McEnroe responded to the controversy saying, "Well, you know, to me, I'm just hearing about it. I believe that the BBC has responded in a way that I believe is appropriate."

On the other hand, BBC defended itself and said McEnroe's contract is "entirely different" to Navratilova's and the two are not comparable.