U.K. Panel Recommends Major Events Be Freely Available On TV
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Panel Recommends Events Like British Open Be
Freely Available To Widest Possible Audience |
Battle lines were drawn Friday in the U.K. "between ministers and sports chiefs" after a government-appointed panel recommended that events of "national resonance" -- including the British Open, Wimbledon and FIFA World Cup qualifiers -- should be "freely available to the widest possible audience," according to Ashling O'Connor of the LONDON TIMES. The panel recommended that these live events be added to a "list of 'crown jewels' preserved by legislation for free-to-air television," and U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport Ben Bradshaw now "must decide, after a three-month public consultation, whether to implement the changes." The changes were proposed by panel Chair David Davies, a former Exec Dir of England's Football Association (FA). Cricket, tennis and rugby officials "reacted furiously to the notion that their prize events should be restricted to four terrestrial broadcasters," and they argued that "market intervention, preventing them from selling to pay TV operators, would suppress the value of their rights and have a detrimental effect on grassroots development." The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) depends on the US$48.9M profit from Wimbledon "for half its annual income," and LTA CEO Roger Draper said, "Why change the status quo if the only effect is to damage the sport by reducing the investment we have available to grow tennis and develop British talent?" But the review was "welcomed by terrestrial broadcasters," and ITV Exec Chair Michael Grade said, "Digital switchover is not closing the huge gulf that exists between the reach of free-to-air and pay TV." Meanwhile, O'Connor noted among the "main events dropped from the list were the Winter Olympics." British Olympic Association CEO Andy Hunt said that he was "disappointed that winter sports would get an even lower profile without necessarily generating more money for athletes" (LONDON TIMES, 11/14).
REAX: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Mimi Turner notes the report was "welcomed by broadcasters but has been denounced as 'disastrous'" by England & Wales Cricket Board Chair Giles Clarke. Clarke said that the report "heralded a 'decade of decay' for the sport" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/16). The FA said that it "would argue for the right to market" World Cup qualifiers "as widely as possible." An FA spokesperson said, "We believe as an organisation we are best placed to determine how our broadcast rights be sold." Sky Sports said that the proposals "could have a 'disastrous impact' on the long-term health of British sport." But Davies "defended his decision to limit his recommendations to the content of the list rather than economic considerations, and said the BBC should be obliged to 'dig deep' to buy sports rights" (London TELEGRAPH, 11/14).
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