Armchair sports fans ‘must lobby govt’
By Alex Stevenson
Time is running out to reinstate sporting highlights like the Ashes from the list of free-to-air listed events, an MP has warned.
This summer’s Ashes clash will be the first England vs Australia Test series which will not be available free to the viewer.
Sky Sports snapped up the rights after it was removed from the listed events in 1998, under the Broadcasting Act 1996.
A review of the 1998 list headed by former FA chief executive David Davies is currently underway.
Its conclusions will be influenced by a consultation from the government closing five days before the first Test begins, on July 3rd.
And John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, said its removal from the listed events would have a damaging impact on the national game.
“Traditionally everyone has been able to enjoy the Ashes and last time it got eight, nine million viewers, the climax of the Ashes,” he told politics.co.uk.
“This time on Sky it’ll probably get 300,000 to 400,000. The young generation will not be inspired to take up the game.”
John Grogan explains why he’s keen to see more sporting events protected
Mr Grogan said he fears the public will lose out if they do not make their views heard.
“We need a lot of public pressure on. [the government] to list some cricket and keep the football listed,” he continued.
“It’s essential it’s not just the TV companies, the rights holders who have their say on this.”
Mr Grogan’s fears extend beyond the Ashes to football. He admitted concern over rumours that world governing body Fifa were putting heavy pressure on the government to remove most World Cup games from the list.
“There’s a lot of trouble particularly in Scotland about the qualifying matches. In Germany and Italy and France those are protected. In the United Kingdom they are not,” he warned.
“At the moment you could grow up in Scotland and you would never see your team live on free-to-air TV.”
Last week Sky Sports secured a deal with the International Cricket Council that it would broadcast all ICC events until 2011 – including the World Cup, the World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy.
The first Test of the Ashes series begins on July 8th in Cardiff. Mr Davies’ review is expected to deliver its final report to new culture, media and sport secretary Ben Bradshaw by the autumn.
The free-to-air consultation can be found here.
