Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 7.17 of the Ofcom consultation paper entitled Listed events: Implementing the Media Act, published on 13 June 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the growth of digital platforms on the listed events regime.

While the Government wants to see sporting events of national interest shown on free-to-air so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience, decisions made around the coverage of specific listed events are commercial ones made between public service broadcasters (PSBs) and the rights holders independent of Government.

We recognise that the media landscape is going through a period of rapid change which means both challenges and opportunities for our PSBs.

We will support PSBs by building on Ofcom’s Public Service Media review and take action to support them, as we set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan.