Public service broadcasters in the UK are intensifying their efforts to persuade the government to expand the roster of televised sport's free-to-air 'crown jewels', with a growing number of Labour MPs lending their support to the campaign.
Renewed Push for Legislative Protection
Despite a previous rejection three years ago, when a call from then BBC director of sport Barbara Slater to add the Six Nations Championship to the group A list was turned down, broadcasters are now collaborating with Labour MPs to force a policy change. The group A list comprises events that must be offered to terrestrial channels, ensuring they remain accessible without subscription fees.
Broadcasters' Strategic Moves
BBC and ITV have secured their joint rights for the Six Nations until 2029, a move made despite fears of being outbid by subscription services like Sky Sports and TNT Sport. However, with tight budgets, they continue to seek legislative safeguards to protect these rights from future competitive threats.
Channel 4 has also bolstered its sports portfolio in recent years, becoming the free-to-air home for events such as the Winter Paralympics, and securing exclusive contracts for the University Boat Race and Women's FA Cup. This expansion underscores the broader trend of terrestrial channels enhancing their sports offerings.
Proposed Additions to the Crown Jewels List
The public service broadcasters are advocating for several key changes. They propose moving the Six Nations from the group B list—which allows live events behind a paywall as long as highlights are free-to-air—to the group A list. Additionally, they seek to expand the A list to include:
- Home nations' men's and women's international qualifiers for the World Cup and European Championship.
- One Champions League tie involving a British team from each round of matches.
- The men's FA Cup.
Political Support and Public Benefit
A significant number of Labour MPs are understood to be supportive of these proposals. The issue is likely to be raised publicly at the culture, media and sport committee, alongside ongoing private lobbying of ministers. MPs argue that with the rising cost of sports subscriptions due to market fragmentation, there is a substantial public benefit in ensuring fans can watch national teams in major sports regardless of financial means.
While many of the events broadcasters want protected are currently available free-to-air—such as TNT Sports sub-licensing 14 FA Cup ties to the BBC each season—others, like live Champions League matches, are only accessible on subscription platforms like TNT Sports, Amazon Prime, and soon Paramount from 2027.
Current Protections and Future Implications
Listing an event does not guarantee free-to-air coverage, but legislation mandates that public service broadcasters must be given the opportunity to purchase rights at a 'reasonable price' they can afford, preventing them from being outbid by subscription services.
The core events currently protected for free-to-air TV include the Olympics and Paralympics, men's and women's World Cups and European Championships, the FA Cup final and Scottish FA Cup final, Wimbledon finals, the rugby union World Cup final, rugby league's Challenge Cup final, the Grand National, and the Derby.
The secondary B list, requiring free-to-air highlights, encompasses the Six Nations, the rest of the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and men's Test matches, the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics Championships, golf's Open, and the Ryder Cup.
As the debate gains momentum, the outcome could reshape how major sports events are broadcast in the UK, balancing commercial interests with public accessibility.
