MPs to vote on making Premier League games free-to-air
An amendment to the Football Governance Bill has been tabled by the Liberal Democrats, giving Parliament its first say on whether the world's richest league should remain entirely behind a paywall.
A pledge to make at least 10 Premier League matches a season free-to-air was part of the Lib Dems' General Election manifesto but it failed to gain support from Labour and the Conservatives and there has been no sign of that having changed since.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would therefore be able to use his large parliamentary majority to crush the proposal by Sir Ed Davey's party upon it being put to a vote of MPs on Tuesday.
The amendment being tabled would also require the new Independent Football Regulator to ensure that the League Cup final and the English Football League's play-off finals were shown free-to-air.
But the Lib Dems' primary target is the Premier League, for which virtually every match has been exclusively behind a paywall since its inception 33 years ago.
Davey's party cited analysis that showed armchair fans would have to cough up £660 to watch every game next season under the competition's latest TV deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, as well as figures showing viewership on the channels fell 10 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, last term.
It also pointed out that La Liga's partnership with streaming service DAZN included one free-to-air game a week.
Max Wilkinson MP, Lib Dem spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport said: 'I'm urging MPs of all stripes to back our amendment to tear down the paywall and make Premier League games available on free-to-air channels.
'For too long, the jewel in the crown of British football has been locked behind an expensive barrier that keeps fans out while lining the pockets of broadcasters.
'Fans are being rinsed of every last penny to watch the beautiful game, while the next generation of Bellinghams and Bronzes are priced out of the chance to see football played at the very top level.
'That must end today – with a free-to-air revolution that gives the Premier League back to the country.'
The Premier League declined to comment but Telegraph Sport has been told that making games free-to-air would inevitably reduce the value of its UK broadcast contract and put at risk some of the millions it redistributes within football and to other causes.
This is a political football – free-to-air Premier League action is years away
There have long been calls for the Premier League to make some of its matches free-to-air but MPs have never voted on a proposal to force it to do so by law.
And before anyone gets carried away – including at the likes of the BBC or ITV – they should take note of the fact that Tuesday's vote has been orchestrated by the Liberal Democrats.
Indeed, there has been no sign of the Lib Dems' amendment to the Football Governance Bill being backed by Labour or the Conservatives, both of whom have had plenty of opportunities in the last 33 years to do something akin to what Sir Ed Davey's party is proposing.
Of course, the latter knows this and is doubtless using the issue as a political football weeks after England fans turned on Sir Keir Starmer during the country's World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
Given the crises engulfing the Prime Minister over issues such as his botched flagship welfare reforms and cuts to winter fuel payments, painting him as the celebrity Arsenal fan who refuses to support making some Premier League games free feels like an open goal in the current climate.
According to analysis cited by the Lib Dems, both Sky Sports and TNT Sports experienced a decline in Premier League viewership last season.
At least part of that decline would have been down to illegal streaming, with Telegraph Sport chronicling earlier this year how many fans appeared to have shunned expensive subscriptions in favour of cheap modified Fire Sticks.
With more Premier League matches than ever being shown live in the UK next season – 270 versus 200 – via one fewer broadcaster, executives at Sky and TNT will be hoping that represents increased value for money.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
7 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Beever-Jones relishing chance to put herself in the picture with Lionesses
Aggie Beever-Jones doesn't have much tournament experience. The England striker missed out on the 2020 under-17 Euros owing to Covid cancellations and featured at only the under-19s Euros in 2022, where she scored twice in the group stage against Norway, before arriving at Euro 2025. By the time a player breaks into the senior side they usually have several tournaments under their belt but Covid means Beever-Jones is a part of the generation of young players coming through that lost out. 'I was unfortunate in that sense when I was growing up,' she says. 'I've never really experienced tournament football and being away from family. It was a crazy time in the world; I think everyone was a bit unsure what was going on. We were lucky enough that football was able to carry on. 'That's why I think it makes it a bit more special this time round. It is my first proper tournament and at the highest level. It's exactly where I want to be. I feel comfortable enough to push for my place as well as getting pushed every day to become a better person and player. So I'm really, really enjoying it. Hopefully we can make our mark and keep going.' The 21-year-old made her senior tournament debut on Wednesday night, coming on in place of Alessia Russo in the 84th minute of England's 4-0 defeat of the Netherlands, and hopes to play a part on Sunday against Wales. The Chelsea forward's former manager Emma Hayes spoke of the impact Beever-Jones could have on the international stage at the end of her tenure at the club, saying: 'Aggie Beever-Jones. Don't forget that name. She's going to be a legend not just for Chelsea but for England.' Beever-Jones says she feels 'extremely lucky' to have achieved her goal of getting to these Euros and reflects on Hayes' assessment by saying: 'For Emma to say those words about me, that probably is one of the best compliments I've ever had, and from such an incredible person. I'm just looking to help where I can and enjoy it. I've always said I play my best football when I'm enjoying it.' Making sure you enjoy it off the pitch matters too at a tournament. Taking photos is one of Beever-Jones's means of distraction. 'There's a few of us,' she says. 'I know Alex [Greenwood] bought a camera recently. It's just nice to find some hobbies outside of football sometimes. The prints are in my journal – got a few Polaroids stuck in there … it's finding the beauty in the little things and just being able to explore a beautiful city and enjoy it.' Stepping out of the team bubble to hang out with family and friends also helps. 'It's refreshing to come out of that bubble sometimes and take a step back to spend time with your family and not talk about football,' says Beever-Jones. 'My sister's not a football-head at all so I just talk to her about everything but football. She's a midwife; I talk a lot to her about her work. She has her boyfriend here who's equally one of my best friends and it's just nice to have that relationship. And equally with my mum and dad as well, just spending time and having a general family catchup. It's a great balance of: you come here, you switch on, we have the bubble, and, equally, you can go out and have a coffee and enjoy time with your family and switch off from football.' Beever-Jones waits for the chance to make her mark on this tournament and announce herself on the world stage like Alessia Russo and Ella Toone did as England's super subs in 2022. 'That would be the dream,' she says. 'For me, it's about trusting Sarina [Wiegman] and trusting the process. We have a squad full of incredible players. I just have to take my opportunity when it comes. I was grateful to come on the other day and show a little bit of what I can do. Hopefully I get some more opportunities to do that.' Was it disheartening not to feature in the opening defeat by France, with Michelle Agyemang the player who came on? 'Me and Sarina had a conversation and ultimately I have to respect her decision,' she says. 'She did say it was a tough game and she looked elsewhere to bring other people on and I just have to respect that. I know my strengths and I have done it for two years coming off the bench for Chelsea and hopefully making an impact. 'Sarina is well aware of that and I respected that decision. She knows I'll be ready no matter what, whenever the time comes. I'm just delighted we were able to turn it around the other night. It doesn't mean anything if we don't go and beat Wales.'
Scottish Sun
10 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd in talks to sign two 16-year-olds ‘regarded as among best in country' including England U17 captain and City kid
Man Utd are facing competition from other Premier League clubs NEXT GEN Man Utd in talks to sign two 16-year-olds 'regarded as among best in country' including England U17 captain and City kid Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED are holding talks to land two of the country's best teenage talents during the summer transfer window. The bids are spearheaded by United's head of academy recruitment Luke Fedorenko and director of academy Nick Cox, who are trying to attract some of the UK's best young players to boost the academy. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Manchester United have made an 'impressive proposal' for Fulham ace and England Under-17 captain Seth Ridgeon 2 Man Utd are also targeting Tyrese Noubissie who is leaving Manchester City According to The Athletic, Man Utd are keeping tabs on highly-rated youngsters Seth Ridgeon and Tyrese Noubissie who are both considering the offers. Fulham ace Ridgeon, 16, has already played for the club's Under-21s despite his young age. The attacking midfielder is also the captain of England's Under-17 side. Noubissie, 16, is set to depart Manchester City after finding opportunities to be limited. The versatile midfielder, who can play as a No6 and No8, joined City from Leicester two years ago following a whopping £1million deal. United are very interested in both wonderkids and recently invited them for a tour at Old Trafford and Carrington where they met director of football Jason Wilcox, while manager Ruben Amorim also made a brief appearance. However, Man Utd face competition for both teenage sensations during the summer transfer window. Ridgeon has attracted interest from City, Chelsea, and Liverpool, while Fulham are fighting hard to hold onto him. Noubissie, on the other hand, is eyed by RB Leipzig and Strasbourg who are making attempts to convince him to move abroad with his situation being described as "open". There are other European clubs keeping tabs on the France Under-16 international because of his continental heritage as he was born in Scotland to father, Patrick, who is from Paris. Juventus want Rashford! Nevertheless, United are thought to be leading the race, especially in Ridgeon's case as they have tabled an "impressive proposal".
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Line judges: So much of Wimbledon's magic has been lost by ditching us
The switch to electronic line calling (ELC) has 'changed the atmosphere' at Wimbledon, according to two experienced line judges who attended the tournament this week. The officials, who preferred to use assumed names in order to preserve relationships, pointed out that much has been lost with the switch to automation, including natural variation in the volume of line calls. 'We were always taught to sell the call to the players,' said Susan. 'When the ball was a long way out and nobody was following it, we would make a quieter, more subdued call. When it was landing close to the line, especially on a big point, we would shout much louder. 'There is an element of drama that the human line judges provided which has been lost. The system now is always the same volume, and it's not very loud either, so that there's plenty of cases where the spectators haven't heard the call and aren't sure whether the ball was in or out. 'There was an example in the match I was just watching where people thought one player had hit a fabulous winner and gave them a big ovation. Then the scoreboard showed that the point had gone the other way, so they felt the need to give polite applause to the other player instead.' The various teething troubles of the past week – which included the system being accidentally switched off during Sunday's Centre Court match involving Great Britain's Sonay Kartal – have instilled a widespread sense of doubt around Hawk-Eye's performance. 'Once it gets into the players' heads that the calls can't be trusted, that becomes contagious,' said Graham. 'We've had electronic line calling around the tour for some time now, but almost everyone I've spoken to thinks that it works best on hard courts. Put it on clay or grass, where the granules or the grass blades move, and it doesn't seem as trustworthy. You're seeing players shaking their heads a lot, and even spectators are becoming sceptical. 'But it's not just about the calls. There are so many intangibles that the line judges provide. Take the situation where a player is swearing at the back of the court, loudly enough for fans and TV microphones to pick it up but not for the chair umpire to hear. There's no one there to report it to the umpire.' Both line judges also raised the oft-stated question of where their successors will come from. This concern was at the heart of the French Tennis Federation's (FFT) decision to keep human officials at Roland Garros this year, thus making the French Open the only hold-out in a world of robots. When asked why the FFT had not switched to ELC, president Gilles Moretton said, 'We are a federation of clubs and licensed players, with competitions every weekend and umpires working daily. And I say this with all modesty – we are the best country when it comes to supplying umpires on the circuit.' Great Britain also has a long tradition of officiating, with James Keothavong, Alison Hughes and Richard Haigh among the circuit's more familiar faces. There must be a question mark, though, over where the next generation will come from. 'You still need line judges at Ilkley or Nottingham,' said Susan. 'But I know plenty of young tennis enthusiasts who want to be on court with Coco Gauff or Carlos Alcaraz. That's not going to happen at those smaller events. 'It will take a few years to see how this all shakes out, but my suspicion is that we will end up asking more overseas officials to come over to the UK during grass-court season, because there won't be enough British staff available. 'Yes, there are 80 match assistants at Wimbledon, but they are performing quite menial duties: checking the height of the net and escorting players to the bathroom, that sort of thing.' Several tennis insiders have expressed surprise at the clunkiness of Wimbledon's first crack at ELC, given the AELTC's reputation for meticulous preparation. 'I would have expected them to run a shadow operation for at least one tournament before going live with it,' said another seasoned official. 'You have to test these things in a competitive matchplay situation for the weak points to show up.' As for Nick Kyrgios, the agent provocateur of the locker room, he told the Whistleblowers podcast that the introduction of ELC had been 'an absolute s--- show', adding: 'I feel like Wimbledon just dropped it in and it's been a disaster... Maybe Wimbledon should just be one of the tournaments where its traditions never change. You have line umpires, and you have challenges.' One experienced tennis administrator told Telegraph Sport that a video-review facility – which is present at the three other majors – would help avoid situations like the Kartal incident, where chair umpire Nico Helwerth felt unable to make a very obvious 'out' call because Hawk-Eye had stopped working. But Graham suggested that this doubling up of technology could create problems as well as resolve them. 'Imagine a situation where Hawk-Eye had called the ball out but a video review showed chalk dust flying. As a tournament, your credibility would take a long time to recover.'
