Europe’s public broadcasters "have asked for government intervention to prevent the best sports coverage disappearing from free-to-air television," according to Mance & Moore of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The move "comes as pay-TV and cable companies such as Sky, BT, Deutsche Telekom and Altice commit billions of euros for the rights to show sports, putting many competitions beyond the financial grasp of public broadcasters such as the BBC." The European Broadcasting Union, which represents broadcasters including the BBC, France Télévisions and Germany’s ARD, said free-to-air sport was an "intrinsic part" of public service broadcasting and needed regulatory protection. Public service broadcasters argue that "the disappearance of many sports behind paywalls has led to declining participation numbers." The EBU said, "The general public risks losing out in all European countries. This negative trend needs to be halted with regulatory support. ... We vividly encourage all member states of the European Union to draw up precise lists of sports events which should be available to all at no extra cost" (FT, 12/7).
PASSIONATE PLEA: In London, Daniel Johnson wrote Sky F1 pundit and former BBC commentator Martin Brundle "made a passionate plea to the state broadcaster to stay in Formula One amid suggestions that they may not show any live races next season." Brundle, who worked with the BBC from '09 to the end of '11, before "jumping ship" to Sky when it won the rights to show all the races live, said that "the competition between the two was good for viewers and that F1 needed a free-to-air presence." F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone "rebuffed attempts by the cash-strapped BBC last month to renegotiate its existing contract" amid cuts of around £35M ($52M) to the broadcaster’s sports right division. Speaking at the Autosport Awards in Park Lane, London, Brundle said, "I just want to go a little bit off-piste here and say how much I want the BBC to stay in Formula One. We love the BBC, and it's good for us at Sky because we push each other to be even better. I really hope they stay and stick with Formula One" (TELEGRAPH, 12/7).
