Events | 2009.11.08
Row looms over free-to-air shakeup for TV sport
• Cricket and football fear impact of radical rethink
• Wimbledon, Welsh rugby and Ashes on new A-list
The most radical shakeup of sports broadcasting rights for more than a decade will trigger a backlash from sports governing bodies this week as events including the Ashes, Wimbledon and international football qualifiers are likely to be added to the list of those reserved for live coverage on free-to-air television.
Inspired by viewing figures of up to 11.8 million for Andy Murray\'s fourth-round tie at last year\'s Wimbledon, the whole of the tournament will be added to the list, rather than just the finals, and rugby union internationals in Wales, which can attract more than seven in 10 viewers, are also due to be included, according to sources close to the independent review led by the former FA executive director David Davies.
The sources revealed there had been a "radical" shakeup, resulting in a shorter but more coherent list of events – those with a "special national resonance" – that must be available on free-to-air television in either highlights or live form.
The Epsom Derby and the rugby league cup final are expected to be dropped from the list, which could reduce their chances of attracting sponsorship and maintaining their visibility beyond core fans.
Governing bodies are preparing to go on the attack, arguing the new rules will severely damage their ability to fund grassroots sport. The England and Wales Cricket Board has argued that the £300m Sky pays for exclusive rights has enabled a huge investment programme in state schools, community clubs and the women\'s game. The Scottish Football Association has claimed it will lose £12m a year.
While the likes of the FA Cup final and the Olympics will remain on the live A-list, the so-called B-list, for highlights, is likely to be axed altogether.
Following 10 months of hearings, research and input from overseas, the panel\'s conclusions will be delivered to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and published within a week. It is expected that a frenzied 12-week period of consultation will follow.
The culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, and the sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, who will ultimately decide whether to accept the panel\'s recommendations, face a race against time to get any changes on to the statute book ahead of next year\'s general election.
Governing bodies will argue that the proposals will hit funding for grassroots sport and demand an independent economic analysis; BBC and ITV will champion the need to ensure key moments reach the widest audience in order to inspire future sporting stars.
When the panel – a mix of former sports stars, academics and broadcasters including Colin Jackson, Dougie Donnelly and Eamonn Holmes – convened at the beginning of the year, it was expected the status quo would broadly be maintained, perhaps with the addition of some Twenty20 cricket to the free-to-air list.
Instead, Davies will deliver a "radical" vision and is likely to recommend that the issue is re-examined on a more regular basis than the existing 10-year cycle, with the digital switchover in 2012 looming.
The panel is thought to have accepted the argument that international football qualifiers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland together with rugby in Wales, should be added to the list. ITV and the BBC lobbied heavily for their inclusion, arguing that devolution had made their argument stronger.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/nov/08/free-to-air-sport-shakeup
