Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events
Encyclopedia
The Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed & Designated Events is a series of regulations issued originally by the Independent Television Commission
(ITC) then by Ofcom
when the latter assumed most of the ITC's responsibilities in 2003, which is designed to protect the availability of live coverage of so-called "listed events" in sport — typically major sporting occasions — on free-to-air terrestrial television
in the United Kingdom
.
The origins of the Code come from the Broadcasting Act 1996. Although the Home Secretary
, Kenneth Baker
, had devised a list of events not permitted to be broadcast solely on pay-per-view
(PPV) services in 1991, the Act required the ITC to create a permanent list of such events. In 1997, the initial list was drawn up, and was revised in 1999, where the Code was divided into two categories, A and B. The Code was further amended in 2000 to give the ITC responsibility over UK-based broadcasters wanting to transmit listed events in other countries.
In July 2000, a British-based broadcaster, TV Danmark
, challenged the ITC's decision to deny it the rights to five Danish
World Cup
qualifiers
. After having the decision overturned on appeal, the ITC appealed to the House of Lords
. The Lords found in favour of the ITC, and the decision was upheld.
Association football:
Horse racing:
Rugby league:
Rugby union:
Tennis:
Multi-sport events:
Athletics:
Cricket:
Golf:
Motor racing
Rugby union:
Tennis:
Multi-sport events:
negotiated for it to be transferred to Category B and subsequently, and controversially, sold exclusive live broadcast rights for the 2006-09 home cricket seasons to Sky Sports
.
Association football:
Multi-sport events:
Association football:
Rugby union:
Multi-sport events:
Cricket:
Horse racing:
Rugby league:
Rugby union:
Tennis:
Cricket
Golf:
Rugby union:
Tennis:
Women's sports:
Association football:
Cricket:
Golf:
Horse racing:
Rugby union:
Tennis:
Multi-sport events:
Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003....
(ITC) then by Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
when the latter assumed most of the ITC's responsibilities in 2003, which is designed to protect the availability of live coverage of so-called "listed events" in sport — typically major sporting occasions — on free-to-air terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The origins of the Code come from the Broadcasting Act 1996. Although the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Kenneth Baker
Kenneth Baker
Kenneth Wilfred Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, CH, PC , is a British politician, a former Conservative MP and a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group.-Early life:...
, had devised a list of events not permitted to be broadcast solely on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) services in 1991, the Act required the ITC to create a permanent list of such events. In 1997, the initial list was drawn up, and was revised in 1999, where the Code was divided into two categories, A and B. The Code was further amended in 2000 to give the ITC responsibility over UK-based broadcasters wanting to transmit listed events in other countries.
In July 2000, a British-based broadcaster, TV Danmark
Kanal 4
Kanal 4 is a Danish subscription television channel operated by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG.The station is broadcast to Denmark by satellite from London, showing mainly films, US and drama shows.Kanal 4 profile them self as Denmark's only "women's channel"....
, challenged the ITC's decision to deny it the rights to five Danish
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifiers
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
. After having the decision overturned on appeal, the ITC appealed to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. The Lords found in favour of the ITC, and the decision was upheld.
Group A
Category A events are events which must have live coverage made available to free-to-air channels, although PPV networks may share live coverage. As of 2000, these events are:Association football:
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals (all matches) - UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
finals (all matches) - FA Cup finalFA Cup FinalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
final (applies to Scotland only)
Horse racing:
- Grand NationalGrand NationalThe Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
- Epsom DerbyEpsom DerbyThe Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
Rugby league:
- Challenge CupChallenge CupThe Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final
Rugby union:
- World Cup finalRugby World Cup FinalThe Rugby World Cup Final is the most important rugby union match in the world. Played every four years, it determines the World Champions.-Results:-----------------------------Players who have played in more than one Final:...
Tennis:
- Wimbledon ChampionshipsThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
men's and women's finals
Multi-sport events:
- Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
(it is not stated explicitly whether this refers to the WinterWinter Olympic GamesThe Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
or Summer GamesSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
, or both)
Category B
Category B events can be shown on PPV, provided sufficient secondary coverage (highlights, delayed broadcast, etc.) is made to free-to-air broadcasters. As of 2000, the events covered by this category are:Athletics:
- IAAF World ChampionshipsIAAF World Championships in AthleticsThe World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
Cricket:
- Test matchesTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
played in England - World CupCricket World CupThe ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
(the final, semi-finals, and any matches involving the Home NationsHome NationsHome Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
)
Golf:
- The OpenThe Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
Motor racing
- Formula 1
Rugby union:
- World Cup (excluding the final)
- Six Nations ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
matches involving the Home Nations
Tennis:
- Wimbledon Championships (excluding the finals)
Multi-sport events:
- Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Home Test matches
The England cricket team's home Test matches were originally a Category A event. However, the England and Wales Cricket BoardEngland and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
negotiated for it to be transferred to Category B and subsequently, and controversially, sold exclusive live broadcast rights for the 2006-09 home cricket seasons to Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.
BBC proposal
The BBC unveiled a proposed reordering of the list on 30 July 2009. Most notably, it would create a new category for events that would have to be aired live in their entirety on a free-to-air channel.List A1
Events that would have to be aired live in their entirety on a free-to-air channel:Association football:
- FIFA World Cup finals (all matches)
- UEFA European Football Championship
Multi-sport events:
- Summer and Winter Olympic Games
List A2
These events, generally seen as only important to one Home Nation, would have to be aired live in their entirety on a free-to-air channel in that nation only:Association football:
- FA Cup final (in England)
- Scottish Cup final (in Scotland)
- FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship qualifiers (in the respective nation)
Rugby union:
- WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
Six Nations and internationals (in Wales)
Multi-sport events:
- Commonwealth Games (in the respective nation)
List A3
This list's definition is identical to the current Category A. Free-to-air channels must air coverage, but it can be shared by subscription channels:Cricket:
- World Cup final
- ICC World Twenty20ICC World Twenty20The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
final
Horse racing:
- Grand National
- Epsom Derby
Rugby league:
- Challenge Cup final
Rugby union:
- Rugby World Cup final
Tennis:
- Wimbledon Championships men's and women's finals
List B
These events may be shown on a subscription channel if highlights are made available to a free-to-air channel.Cricket
- World Cup (highlights of all games must be made available to the free channel)
- ICC World Twenty20
- England home Test matches
Golf:
- The Open
- Ryder Cup
Rugby union:
- World Cup
- Six Nations Championship (highlights of all games must be made available to the free channel)
- British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tours
Tennis:
- Wimbledon Championships
Women's sports:
- FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World CupThe FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
, UEFA Women's ChampionshipUEFA Women's ChampionshipThe UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...
and Women's Cricket World CupWomen's Cricket World CupThe ICC Women's Cricket World Cup is a Women's one-day international cricket competition. The first tournament was held in England in 1973, two years before the first men's ICC Cricket World Cup....
matches involving Home Nations
Proposed revision
On 13 November 2009 a review panel proposed the following revised list and that the Category B list be scrapped. Under these proposals the Epsom Derby, Winter Olympics and Challenge Cup final would be removed from the list.Listed events
These events would have to be shown live in their entirety on UK-wide, free-to-air television, unless it is otherwise noted:Association football:
- FIFA World Cup finals
- UEFA European Football Championship finals
- FA Cup final (except Scotland)
- Scottish Cup final (Scotland only)
- All qualifiers for both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship (matches involving the Home Nations are protected only in the countries that are participating)
Cricket:
- The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
(home matches only)
Golf:
- The Open
Horse racing:
- Grand National
Rugby union:
- World Cup
- Six Nations Championship (only in Wales, and only for Wales matches)
Tennis:
- Wimbledon Championships
Multi-sport events:
- Summer Olympic Games
See also
- Broadcasting of sports eventsBroadcasting of sports eventsThe broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing the events as they happen.-United States:...
- Public service broadcasting in the United KingdomPublic service broadcasting in the United KingdomIn the United Kingdom the term "public service broadcasting" refers to broadcasting intended for the public benefit rather than for purely commercial concerns. The communications regulator Ofcom, requires that certain television and radio broadcasters fulfil certain requirements as part of their...