Home Ashes Tests on free-to-air list
Home Ashes Tests will be free-to-air if the DCMS approve panel's recommendations
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Friday, 13, Nov 2009 04:23
By Alistair Potter.
The list of protected free-to-air sports events has been published by the department for culture, media and sport and, as predicted, includes all home Ashes Test matches.
In light of the audience figures for Andy Murray's fourth round match at Wimbledon earlier this year, the entire tennis Championships are now protected from subscription channels rather than just the finals, as was previously the case.
The football World Cup finals and European Championship finals are also restricted, as well as all home and away qualifying matches in each of the Home Nations.
Wales' home Six Nations matches are also protected for free-to-air coverage in Wales, and the entire Rugby World Cup finals tournament also makes the list.
However, rugby league's Challenge Cup final is no longer a listed event and could be set for screening by sports conglomerate Sky when the BBC's current deal expires.
The revised list, which, as yet, has only been recommended by a panel led by former Football Association chairman David Davies, will still need to be ratified by the government.
But according to the panel the simplified list, which moves away from the previous two-tiered system brought in with the Broadcasting Act of 1996, is a step forward from the "insufficient and out-of-step" protection of highlights.
"The panel's task was to look beyond the interests of any one sport, and assess the events that really matter to society in the modern age," Davies explained.
"I believe our report is challenging for the sports governing bodies, the broadcasters and the government. But unashamedly it puts the viewing public first."
Other protected events, which were deemed to have "special national resonance", include the Grand National, golf's Open Championship and the summer Olympic Games.