MPs call for major Scottish sporting events to be FTA

The UK House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has called on the UK Government and public service broadcasters to take action to give more Scots the freedom to watch major sporting events for free.

In its report on ‘Public broadcasting in Scotland’, the Committee explains how public service broadcasters often ‘price out’ the ability to show sporting events such as international football where rightsholders say they have ‘no obvious commercial incentive’ to relinquish exclusivity. MEPs believe the current position is failing Scottish fans compared to those in England and Wales who often enjoy watching sporting events on free-to-air channels.

This discrepancy has led the committee to ask the UK government to undertake a review to consider options to improve free-to-air access to Scottish international football – possibly including including Scotland’s World Cup and EURO qualifiers in the public service of the ” listed events”. Broadcasters can bid more easily. The Committee has also expressed the wish that public service broadcasters in Scotland regularly and proactively look at subscription services to consider sharing the broadcasting rights to major Scottish sporting events.

The Committee was also pleased to learn that television production by public broadcasters in Scotland has increased – in terms of hours and spend – which has also benefited a thriving independent production sector. Both the BBC and Channel 4 reiterated their commitment to creating and commissioning authentic content for Scottish audiences when they appeared before the committee. These include the BBC’s plans to move some news jobs from London to Scotland to bolster its ability to publish news relevant to Scottish audiences. Following its meeting with Channel 4 and being asked about a lack of Scottish representation on its hit show Gogglebox, the committee was delighted that a Glasgow couple had been chosen to appear on the program in early 2022.

While the committee heard the rise of streaming services offers opportunities for greater choice of content for viewers in Scotland, almost a third of Scottish households still rely on Freeview to watch TV. Freeview replaced the old analogue television service and offers up to 70 standard free-to-air channels. The committee’s report recognizes the importance of Freeview in Scotland, particularly for older and more rural households, and calls on the UK Government to offer reassurance on the continuation of Freeview coverage beyond 2034.

The Committee recognized that further legislative reform is needed, notably to ensure that public service broadcast content is highlighted on new on-demand TV streaming platforms and in particular STV as a Scotland-specific channel. Therefore, the UK Government should set a clear timetable for when the Media Act will be discussed in Parliament.

“Broadcasting in Scotland has a really positive story to tell,” said Scottish Affairs Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP. “We have access – via public broadcasters or streaming services – to unique Scottish TV content, as well as world-renowned shows filmed here such as stranger or Amazon’s The rig. Our thriving screen sector is worth over half a billion pounds to the Scottish economy.”

“But our committee found during our investigation that sports fans are really missing out. Subscription services often have a monopoly on showing major sporting events, and it’s not fair to those who have trouble paying the high fees to watch a football game or similar event. We are therefore urging the UK Government and public service broadcasters to reconsider whether they could do more to prevent this monopoly from denying fans access to these programs on free-to-air television, so that more Scots can can enjoy the thrill of these major events.”