ANDY Murray will start as the odds-on favourite to become the first three-time winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award when the 2016 ceremony takes place in Birmingham on Sunday.

Murray's second Wimbledon title, his retention of his Olympic singles crown and his rise to world number one over Novak Djokovic make it almost inconceivable he will not repeat his 2013 and 2015 triumphs.

But for Murray's 15 remaining rivals for the award, selected by a panel comprising senior sports and media figures, their shortlisting presents a valuable opportunity to thrust their own sports into the spotlight.

An average of just under eight million viewers have tuned into the ceremony in each of the last three years, and more than one million people voted in 2015, including more than 350,000 for Murray.

Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, whose odds tumbled after he helped his stricken brother Jonny over the finish line at a World Series event in Mexico, said he hoped it would attract more interest to triathlon.

Brownlee told Press Association Sport: "It's a great honour to be nominated at all, but I think this year, especially in such a brilliant year for Olympic sport and when you see the rest of the line-up, it is extra-special.

"There are so many great sports stars who have missed out - Chris Froome who won the Tour de France and Anthony Joshua who won the world heavyweight title - so it is quite amazing really.

"We have to be very pragmatic about the fact triathlon is a minority sport. The nomination is obviously good for me as an individual, but it's really great for triathlon as well and anyone who is passionate about the sport."

Veteran showjumper Nick Skelton, who struck gold in Rio at the age of 58, has also seen his odds reduced this week as he bids to become the first winner of the award for his sport since Zara Phillips in 2006.

Three of the shortlisted nominees - Brownlee, Max Whitlock and Kate Richardson-Walsh - represent sports that have never previously won the award in triathlon, gymnastics and hockey respectively.

Victory for Murray would place tennis third in terms of most wins since the programme first started in 1954, with six, behind athletics with 17, and Formula One, which is not represented on this year's shortlist, with seven.