Broadcasting regulations covering sport’s crown jewels set for reform
The rules governing how sport's "crown jewels" like the Olympic Games and football's World Cup can be viewed in the UK are set to be reformed.
The Government has published a White Paper indicating its intention to bring the listed events regime into the 21st century and ensure viewerscancontinuetowatchmajor eventsonfree-to-airdigitaland on-demand services.
The BBC'S coverage of the Tokyo Olympics last summer faced criticism. In contrast to its offering for the 2012 and 2016 Games, coverage in 2021 was limited under the terms of asub-licensingagreementwith Discovery. The BBC could only show two live Olympic events at any one time - one on televisionandasecondthroughared button service and online, with everythingelseoneurosportor Discovery+.
The corporation's director of sport,barbaraslater,calledlast yearforthelistedeventsregime, based on the 1996 Broadcasting Act, to be reformed, and the Government has now announced its intention to modernise the legislation to betterreflectthecurrentmedia landscape.
It says it will look to make qualification to screen Group A events - which also include the men's and women's football World Cups and Euros, the Wimbledon singles finals and the Grand National - a benefit specifictofree-to-airpublicservicebroadcasters(psbs),namely the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Currently, qualification
requires that a service is freetoviewandaccessibleto95 per cent of the UK. All services that currently qualify are operated by the free-to-air terrestrial PSBS.
However, the Government acknowledges that in 1996 the competition facing them was "limited", whereas viewing habitsarechangingrapidlyand PSBS are competing for rights with global media platforms.
The Government will also review the scope of the listed
events regime, to see if it should be extended to include digital rights to "ensure that the public can view these sporting events of national significance free on digital platforms".
"Digital rights, including ondemand rights, are now an important element in the sale of sports rights but they are not covered by the listed events regime-raisingquestionsabout its relevance," a Government release read.
"If, for example, the Olympic
100m final was broadcast live in the middle of the night on the BBC but all streaming and catch-up rights were sold to a different broadcaster and kept behind a paywall, a culturally relevant event might not be available to a wide audience on a free-to-air basis."
The Paralympic Games were added to Group A of the listed events schedule in 2020, with thewomen'sfootballworldcup and Euros added earlier this week. DCMS committee chair
man Julian Knight said: "The rules ensuring major sporting events are free to be enjoyed by all have failed to keep pace with rapidchangesinaudienceviewing habits. With many more people now watching online or on catch-up rather than crowdingroundatvwithfriendsand family, the Government must ensure the promised review of thelistedeventsregimeextends protection of the sporting crown jewels to digital and ondemand content.”