Sporting Events Bill [HL]

The Sporting Events Bill has been introduced in the House of Lords, legislation that would reform the framework for the broadcasting and ticketing of major sporting events and that would introduce new protections for the fans who are the lifeblood of British sport.

The bill introduces several significant measures. It expands the list of events that are protected for free-to-air television, adding the Women's World Cup, the Paralympic Games and the entirety of the Cricket World Cup to the "crown jewels" that must be available to all viewers regardless of their ability to pay. It introduces new rules on the resale of tickets, capping the markup that secondary ticketing platforms can charge and requiring them to provide clear information about the face value of the tickets they sell. And it creates a new regulator for the sports industry, with powers to investigate and sanction misconduct and to ensure that the governance of sports bodies meets the standards that the public has a right to expect.

The bill has been welcomed by fan organisations, who have long argued that the commercialisation of sport has come at the expense of the supporters who are the foundation of the industry. It has been criticised by some sports bodies, who argue that the restrictions on broadcasting and ticketing will reduce the revenue that is essential to invest in facilities, grassroots participation and the development of talent.

The government has said the bill is necessary to protect the cultural and social value of sport and to ensure that the benefits of the sports industry are shared fairly between the commercial interests that profit from it and the public that sustains it.