BBC and ITV bosses have written to Government ministers to urge protections for “crown jewel” sporting events remaining free-to-air.
In a joint letter published in The Telegraph, BBC director-general Tim Davie and ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall called on the Government to introduce legislation to stop the likes of the Olympics, World Cup and Wimbledon from disappearing behind a paywall.
According to the letter, co-signed by bosses at Channel 5, STV and S4C, a new media bill is “needed to secure the future of British broadcasting and allow it to prosper.”
It adds that “urgent changes are required” in order for public service broadcasters (PSBs) to remain “the bedrock of great British content” in a media landscape increasingly dominated by international streaming services.
Fit for purpose
Giving British broadcasters the tools to compete with streaming giants has been a stated priority of the current Government. Back in April, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries launched a white paper that included guarantees for PSBs handling the live rights of crown jewel sporting events.
But a media bill to that effect has yet to emerge – and there are concerns that an incoming Prime Minister could abandon the plans entirely.
The letter reminds the Government of its commitment, according to The Telegraph, noting that current rules governing the rights are almost 20 years old.
Regulation dating back to the 1990s ensures the crown jewels of sport are free in the UK to the widest possible audience, but if streaming rights (not covered by previous media bills) are sold to a subscription service that would no longer be the case.
A numbers game
Recent trends in the field of sports rights suggest the PSBs are right to be concerned. Streaming giants are increasingly making plays for high-profile sporting events using their considerable finances to their advantage. Last month Amazon shelled out £1.5 billion for UEFA Champions League rights, while June saw Apple TV score a $2.5 billion deal with Major League Soccer.
And the safety of crown jewel events is far from guaranteed. Last year’s Tokyo Olympics rights were sold to Discovery for £920 million, placing the majority of coverage behind a paywall – available either on pay-TV Eurosport channels or the Discovery+ subscription service.
A sub-licensing agreement with the BBC allowed the PSB to show a maximum of two live events at a time, meaning many sports went uncovered by the broadcaster. “The BBC is no longer able to offer livestreams of every sport during the Olympics due to the terms of the licensing arrangements laid down by the rights holder, Discovery,” the BBC confirmed.
On the heels of England’s Women’s Euros victory, the letter argues that seeing those tournaments swallowed up in the streaming wars would be a considerable loss to the British broadcasting landscape; “To inspire the next generation of Lionesses we need major sporting events to be available to all – free of charge, not hidden behind a paywall.”
