Uefa eyes change to free TV football

By Bill Wilson

Business reporter, BBC News

 

Football fans of a nervous disposition may want to look away now as a potential legal 'result' flashes up: Uefa 1 UK Government 0.

 

For, if European governing body Uefa gets its way, this summer's Euro 2008 championship will be the last that British fans get to watch entirely on free-to-air TV.

 

Uefa is challenging the British list of "crown jewel" sporting events - those deemed to be of such national importance that they are guaranteed to be shown on terrestrial television.

 

The Swiss-based football body cannot see why all 31 games at the Euro 2008 championships - which includes the likes of Sweden v Greece and Czech Republic v Turkey - must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK.

 

Particularly when the tournament in Switzerland and Austria has no British participants this time round.

 

'Infringement of rights'

 

Uefa has laid out its legal case to the European Union, in an action which seeks to annul the UK's listing of the entire European football championship as a free-to-air event.

 

The football body says the listing "infringes the applicants property rights, as it results in a restriction of the way in which the applicant may market the television rights to the Euro".

 

It also says showing the entire tournament on free-to-air in the UK "leads to a disproportionate and unjustified distortion of competition on the relevant market".

 

At present each member state of the European Union must supply its list of major "protected" TV sports events to the European Commission for approval.

 

The commission has backed the most recent UK list - which also includes all the games at the World Cup - but now finds itself facing legal challenges from both Uefa and Fifa.

 

Uefa is appealing against the commission approval of the British TV list and wants to have its future European championships delisted from the UK's "protected" events schedule.

 

"It is extremely difficult to justify the assertion that every one of the 31 games in the European Championship are of major importance to UK society," Uefa legal representative Alasdair Bell told the BBC.

 

If Uefa is successful it is thought they would still allow future games featuring British home nations to be shown on terrestrial TV, as well as the final and opening games.

 

But, for most of the other matches, it would mean that the BBC and ITV, who have divided this year's match schedule between them, would face competition from pay TV broadcasters like BSkyB and Setanta.

 

And that would mean Uefa's TV rights agency, Sportfive, looking to raise more from the Euro 2012 tournament than the current Euro 2008 deal, which is reportedly worth about £50m.

I hope this doesn't happen in 2012, part of the "magic" of the Euros is that the schedules of ITV1 and BBC1 get taken over by football, and it'll be a shame if Sky and Setanta come and stick their oar in. :(

Well first off WE CREATED FOOTBALL so we should as a country be able to do whatever we want with the broadcasting rights.

 

But away from the ignorance, this is just yet another money making scheme from the t**** who are in power in UEFA. What is it with them and hating England? No-wonder we've never seen a World Cup hosted in our country for generations when all of the top people in football hate us.

Well first off WE CREATED FOOTBALL so we should as a country be able to do whatever we want with the broadcasting rights.

 

But away from the ignorance, this is just yet another money making scheme from the t**** who are in power in UEFA. What is it with them and hating England? No-wonder we've never seen a World Cup hosted in our country for generations when all of the top people in football hate us.

 

Well, mate, frankly, I dont see the fact that we "created" football as having any relevance at all tbh... UK "created" Cricket as well, don't see you jumping on the bandwagon to try to protect the rights for ALL cricket fans to view the Test Series (of which only highlighst are shown) or the Cricket World Cup (which I believe was exclusively shown on Sky the last time, I could be wrong...). And besides, if there are no British teams taking part, why should it be protected anyway....? Besides, UEFA are saying that any Euro matches featuring UK teams would still be protected, so it aint as if the fans of the national teams will really miss out....

 

I find it interesting that you have a "Lost" logo on your sig.. Hmmm, well tell me how you feel about that show being pinched from Channel 4, and people in UK being forced to subscribe to Sky in order to view it then, don't the "Lost" fans have a right to watch their favourite show on terrestrial TV.....? I mean, didn't we create TV in this country too (John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor, invented the telly)...?

 

It's all money mate, and while I agree that it sucks, I dont agree that sporting events should have a priveleged position, particularly when we as a nation have no actual vested interest in them...

Well, mate, frankly, I dont see the fact that we "created" football as having any relevance at all tbh... UK "created" Cricket as well, don't see you jumping on the bandwagon to try to protect the rights for ALL cricket fans to view the Test Series (of which only highlighst are shown) or the Cricket World Cup (which I believe was exclusively shown on Sky the last time, I could be wrong...). And besides, if there are no British teams taking part, why should it be protected anyway....? Besides, UEFA are saying that any Euro matches featuring UK teams would still be protected, so it aint as if the fans of the national teams will really miss out....

 

I find it interesting that you have a "Lost" logo on your sig.. Hmmm, well tell me how you feel about that show being pinched from Channel 4, and people in UK being forced to subscribe to Sky in order to view it then, don't the "Lost" fans have a right to watch their favourite show on terrestrial TV.....? I mean, didn't we create TV in this country too (John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor, invented the telly)...?

 

It's all money mate, and while I agree that it sucks, I dont agree that sporting events should have a priveleged position, particularly when we as a nation have no actual vested interest in them...

 

But the BBC and ITV have been showing the Euros for God knows how many years and why should they have to give up the rights now? It just stinks of UEFA trying to make a quick buck out of the UK. They'll have seen how much we'll have payed for the Champions League rights and then thought that they'd make even more money by trying to put the Euros up for sale again. Just because no British teams are in the Euros this year who is to say that in 2012 all 4 teams might be involved in the them? Unlikely I know, but still possible.

 

Well the Lost rights were different. Channel 4 actually gave them up. I don't mind though, i've always watched Lost on the internet, so it doesn't really bother me that they took the rights, and I have Sky too, but yes it does suck that people can't watch it on terrestrial TV, but Channel 4 actually gave up the rights, so it's more of a case of blaming C4 than Sky.

yet another anti-English/British move by UEFA/FIFA manned by two men who can't stand England :lol:

 

To be fair who watches matches like Austria vs whoever anyway :lol:

 

If UEFA & FIFA want to cut their TV audiences for the sake of even more money then meh this sport is becoming officially naff.

Hmmmm sounds very hypocritical after they the English FA off for being 'greedy' and wanting to make more money -_-

But the BBC and ITV have been showing the Euros for God knows how many years and why should they have to give up the rights now?

 

Well, for how many years was the Beeb and other terrestrial channels showing the Cricket Test series mate, or the myriad other sporting events, such as Boxing, which are now exclusively on Satellite...? I dont hear many voices of protest about those.... Sorry, but you're being a tad hypocritical, showing a bias towards one particular sport, the facts are with the advent of Satellite TV things have changed like it or not dude....

 

So, really, I just dont want to hear all this paranoid, "anti-English" guff coming out of people. Like you bloody lot are the only ones that such a ruling would effect..... <_<

 

And besides - UEFA have categorically said that it WILL NOT AFFECT GAMES INVOLVING THE NATIONAL TEAMS..... So, please, let's all stop with the c**p that it's "anti-English"....

Well, for how many years was the Beeb and other terrestrial channels showing the Cricket Test series mate, or the myriad other sporting events, such as Boxing, which are now exclusively on Satellite...? I dont hear many voices of protest about those.... Sorry, but you're being a tad hypocritical, showing a bias towards one particular sport, the facts are with the advent of Satellite TV things have changed like it or not dude....

 

So, really, I just dont want to hear all this paranoid, "anti-English" guff coming out of people. Like you bloody lot are the only ones that such a ruling would effect..... <_<

 

And besides - UEFA have categorically said that it WILL NOT AFFECT GAMES INVOLVING THE NATIONAL TEAMS..... So, please, let's all stop with the c**p that it's "anti-English"....

 

But as far as i'm aware the Euros HAVE to be shown on terrestrial TV, just like the World Cup, Olympics, Wimbledon etc. so why should this change now? It shouldn't For 3 weeks every 4 years the Euros happen and take over (well not even that) take over terrestrial TV, so why should football fans have to suffer now because UEFA want to remove the full Euros from the important sporting events list?

 

Platini and Blatter especially are very anti-English and because of this, I guess they can also be considered anti-British. Blatter is the biggest prat around, and then Platini is not far behind him. All these laws and rules and then the subsequent comments Platini especially is because of English football.

And you know what's gonna happen, don't you?

 

If UEFA succeed, then the IOC will challenge it, as will Wimbledon, and Formula One, and so on until the list of protected events is as empty as Homer Simpson's head.

And you know what's gonna happen, don't you?

 

If UEFA succeed, then the IOC will challenge it, as will Wimbledon, and Formula One, and so on until the list of protected events is as empty as Homer Simpson's head.

 

I believe F1 was shown exclusively on some Satellite channel or other for a time some years back....

 

And, I'm sorry Rooney, but you just dont convince me that you're not showing bias towards your own favourite sport... If you were to say that Platini and Blatter were targeting UK and ONLY UK with this ruling, I might agree that you have a point, but if the Euro Championships are going to be open to the highest bidder all over EU, frankly, you don't have a leg to stand on.... Like it or not mate, it IS an open market out there as far as broadcasting is concerned, the advent of Satellite has changed the goalposts (if you'll pardon the pun...). I don't like it anymore than you do mate, but if things like cricket test matches or boxing title fights involving BRITISH fighters aint protected why should the Euro finals be....?

 

It would be hard to justify such a move with the Olympics, it's really a GLOBAL concern when you consider that everyone takes part. Wimbledon, I doubt will bother, because that really is of national interest as it takes place here annually....

I believe F1 was shown exclusively on some Satellite channel or other for a time some years back....

 

And, I'm sorry Rooney, but you just dont convince me that you're not showing bias towards your own favourite sport... If you were to say that Platini and Blatter were targeting UK and ONLY UK with this ruling, I might agree that you have a point, but if the Euro Championships are going to be open to the highest bidder all over EU, frankly, you don't have a leg to stand on.... Like it or not mate, it IS an open market out there as far as broadcasting is concerned, the advent of Satellite has changed the goalposts (if you'll pardon the pun...). I don't like it anymore than you do mate, but if things like cricket test matches or boxing title fights involving BRITISH fighters aint protected why should the Euro finals be....?

 

It would be hard to justify such a move with the Olympics, it's really a GLOBAL concern when you consider that everyone takes part. Wimbledon, I doubt will bother, because that really is of national interest as it takes place here annually....

 

But the Euros are protected by being in the list of major sporting events that are deemed important enough to be shown on terrestrial TV, so why should UEFA challange the rights?! All they want is more money. All the sporing events that appear on the list of major sporting events should be shown on terrestrial TV because they're deemed important enough by the goverment to do so.

But the Euros are protected by being in the list of major sporting events that are deemed important enough to be shown on terrestrial TV, so why should UEFA challange the rights?!

 

*sigh* because things are different now mate, get used to it, you cant put the Satellite genie back in the bottle.... These lists were drawn up YEARS ago, when Satellite was in its infancy... The Test Series used to be on the list as well, as did a fair few other things which found its way onto Satellite.... The perfectly VALID point that UEFA is making is how can it be in UK national interests if no UK teams are even in the competition....? Answer - it's not, harsh, but true.... I agree that it would be in UK national interests to see the games featuring UK teams, and UEFA has no issues with that.... Even the final itself would be protected regardless of whether or not UK teams took part....

 

Football is ALL about the money these days Rooney, "sportsmanship" and "fairness" hardly even enters into the equation anymore... You should be objecting to the Middle-Classisation of football in general mate, football is a victim of its own success.... It aint a sport anymore, it's a business, if you dont like it, protest that point, but honestly, you'll just be like King Cnut standing against an unstoppable tidal wave..... The working classes have LOST football to the beourgeois middle classes who now run the game..... Football is no longer defined by people like Brian Clough or Alf Ramsay, it's defined by people like Roman Abramovic and Malcolm Glazer.... Which is probably why I detest football these days....

*sigh* because things are different now mate, get used to it, you cant put the Satellite genie back in the bottle.... These lists were drawn up YEARS ago, when Satellite was in its infancy... The Test Series used to be on the list as well, as did a fair few other things which found its way onto Satellite.... The perfectly VALID point that UEFA is making is how can it be in UK national interests if no UK teams are even in the competition....? Answer - it's not, harsh, but true.... I agree that it would be in UK national interests to see the games featuring UK teams, and UEFA has no issues with that.... Even the final itself would be protected regardless of whether or not UK teams took part....

 

Football is ALL about the money these days Rooney, "sportsmanship" and "fairness" hardly even enters into the equation anymore... You should be objecting to the Middle-Classisation of football in general mate, football is a victim of its own success.... It aint a sport anymore, it's a business, if you dont like it, protest that point, but honestly, you'll just be like King Cnut standing against an unstoppable tidal wave..... The working classes have LOST football to the beourgeois middle classes who now run the game.....

 

But the difference between test series and the Euros is that the Euros are more popular, and i'm sure the ratings will reflect that. Okay not for every game, but for most games the ratings will be good. If UEFA want to follow this logic it's just like saying with the Olympics, "okay, you can only watch British competitors in the Olympics and then the rest can be shown on Sky Sports". I know you'll say well that's different but that's just exactly what UEFA are trying to say.If England are in the next European championships then i'm sure a lot of people will want to watch other games to see what competition England have etc.

 

Well yes I know football is a middle-class sport these days, but why has it become this? Well because of TV rights etc. There is a big market for businessment, I mean just look at Abramovic, the Glazers and tweedle dee and tweedle dumb at Liverpool. They have only taken an interest in the club despite what they may say because of the money they can make from it, which is a result of FIFA and UEFA. Look at the rising season ticket costs etc. it's not good for football. We're at a time of inflation in our country and all UEFA are being in greedy. There is no need to move the Euros to Sky, despite what UEFA may say. If this mentality continues then football will become an exclusively middle-class sport.

But the difference between test series and the Euros is that the Euros are more popular, .

 

Well, that's surely why they (the satellite broadcasters) want to grab the exclusive rights to it....

 

But again, you show your bias.... You seem to find it acceptable for fans of cricket to lose out, but not footie fans simply because of spurious notions of "popularity", which I dont buy to be honest... Trust me, MILLIONS of people in this country (especially in the working class immigrant communities) are absolute cricket fanatics....

Well, that's surely why they (the satellite broadcasters) want to grab the exclusive rights to it....

 

But again, you show your bias.... You seem to find it acceptable for fans of cricket to lose out, but not footie fans simply because of spurious notions of "popularity", which I dont buy to be honest... Trust me, MILLIONS of people in this country (especially in the working class immigrant communities) are absolute cricket fanatics....

 

Yes of course they want to grab the exclusive rights to the Euros, which is exactly why I think this whole thing is stupid!!! UEFA know how much Sky or Setanta would be willing to pay for the rights, so they're willing to challange the goverment just so they can make extra money out of the UK when all the time UEFA are making sly digs at out country as a footballing nation.

 

I'm not being bias at all. I like cricket, but you can't compare it to football. Football is a lot more popular at the end of the day, just look at TV ratings, gate receipts. At schools, colleges etc. it's always football people are talking about because it's a popular sport. I agree cricket is a popular sport but the only time it REALLY gets popular is when the Ashes are one and even then people only really seem to care if we've got a chance of winning. Maybe yeah the goverment let cricket go from the "crown jewels" package but you have to remember test cricket lasts a very long time... this takes up a full days TV schedule pretty much and then I know a lot of people find cricket extremely boring to watch at times.

I was thinking about this, and seem to remember something similar happening in 2001. Nothing came of it then, so why would/should it now?

Yes of course they want to grab the exclusive rights to the Euros, which is exactly why I think this whole thing is stupid!!! UEFA know how much Sky or Setanta would be willing to pay for the rights, so they're willing to challange the goverment just so they can make extra money out of the UK when all the time UEFA are making sly digs at out country as a footballing nation.

 

I'm not being bias at all. I like cricket, but you can't compare it to football. Football is a lot more popular at the end of the day, just look at TV ratings, gate receipts. At schools, colleges etc. it's always football people are talking about because it's a popular sport. I agree cricket is a popular sport but the only time it REALLY gets popular is when the Ashes are one and even then people only really seem to care if we've got a chance of winning. Maybe yeah the goverment let cricket go from the "crown jewels" package but you have to remember test cricket lasts a very long time... this takes up a full days TV schedule pretty much and then I know a lot of people find cricket extremely boring to watch at times.

I adore watching highlights of criket, but it bores me to death watching a full test match.

 

I agree with you, really. The European championships are a major event, and major events SHOULD be on terrestrial TV. It's not really like Cricket, you can't compare them at all. What defies a major event? The World Cup? Well it's not really any more popular or important than Test Cricket. Test Series? Well they happen far too often to be major? Just The Ashes? I think this is probably closest, but I wouldn't be so sure...

 

If Sky/Sentanta get the Euro's we may as well give them the World Cup, Olympics and Wimbledon whilst we're at it! <_<