World Cup games to remain on free-to-air TV in the UK

[Rip Van We Go Again]

By Bill Wilson
 
Business reporter, BBC News
 

The European Court of Justice has ruled that UK football fans can continue to watch major events on free-to-air TV in future.

Fifa and Uefa had challenged a decision allowing the UK government to designate the World Cup and European Championships as free-to-watch events.

Both are on the UK list of "protected" events of national sporting importance.

The ECJ now says an EU member state can prohibit the exclusive broadcast of games at these two events on pay-TV.

Fifa and Uefa had argued the current set-up interfered with their ability to sell television rights at the best price.

They had said there was no reason why all games at tournaments should be shown free on British television, as part of a list the national sporting "crown jewels" that have to be made available to everyone to watch.

But the EU has now said that the present way that games are shown in the UK - with the whole of the World Cup and European Championships on free-to-air - can continue.

[darren woolley]

Thank god for that it would have been the last straw for me if i couldn't watch them free.

[rjp]

A rare moment of sanity from the EU.

[cdbearsfan]

Well done ECJ. Fuck off FIFA and UEFA you money grabbing parasites.

[Monty]

A rare moment of sanity from the EU.

Actually a surprisingly common moment of sanity from the EU, but that's another debate. It's good to have them around, people who are not in thrall to Murdoch and his ilk.

[peter w]

Phew, what would i have done last summer if I wasn't able to watch England in South Africa?

[Holtenderinthesky]

It would have been the final nail in the coffin for the increasingly poor tournament that the World Cup is.  The thing is, now that the CL is MEGA important to those involved, international football just isn't the peak for a player anymore and half the top players turn up knackered and uninteresred.  If we had to pay to watch the drivel in South Africa then I think most of the games would've had hardly any people bothering to watch.  I know I wouldn't have paid to watch that shit and get deafened by those bastard vuvuzelas.

[sidcowans10]

Whilst this is good news, I cant see Sky bidding much for a tounament like the World Cup anyway. I think they are after year round sports that would make people go out and buy a Sky dish and package. Would people do that just for one tounament? It would be easier to go to the pub and a lot cheaper

[Pete3206]

Just shows you what FIFA and UEFA are all about. Only after more cash for their "football family".

What would Jules Rimet think of all these corrupt weasels if he was still alive?

[The Left Side]

Good news indeed, what a moment of clarity from the EU.

[olaftab]

Well done ECJ...a common sense decision.

[PaulWinch again]

Very good news and spot on. Football has been massacred by greed and the World Cup needs to be kept apart from that as much as possible. The best example of how things have gone wrong is the European Cup(Champions League), the group stages are an exercise in money grabbing and most of the games are completely pointless. The Europa League, is an utter shambles and needs massive changes.

[Astral Weeks]

I should fucking think so too.