Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the level of accessibility of live coverage of major national and international sporting events for viewers who do not subscribe to paid streaming services; and if she will bring forward proposals to expand the list of sporting fixtures required to have live free-to-air television coverage.

The Government wants to see certain sporting events of national interest shown on free-to-air television so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience, and recognises the importance of broadcasting sporting events to attract significant audience interest. That said, broadcasting rights provide essential income for sports rights holders, which enables them to invest in their sports.

The current listed events regime is designed to ensure that sporting events of national significance are available to as wide an audience as possible, by prohibiting exclusive broadcasting of the event without prior consent from Ofcom.

The Government believes the current list of events strikes the appropriate balance between encouraging access to a number of sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue. The Government has no plans to review the list at this time.