UK political party Labour is considering plans to increase the number of sporting events included on the ‘crown jewels’ list reserved for broadcast on free-to-air television, according to the Independent.
The newspaper said England and Scotland football qualifiers for future Fifa World Cups and Uefa European Championships, the Ashes cricket series between England and Australia, and the Open golf tournament could all be added to the list, under Labour’s proposals.
It is understood that no final decision has been made, but the plans could be announced in Labour’s manifesto for the 2015 general election.
Any bid to return the ‘home nations’ football qualifying games to terrestrial television would prove popular in Scotland where Labour is currently battling to hold on to its core vote in the face of competition from the Scottish National Party.
Labour’s Scottish leader, Jim Murphy, said viewing live major sports events such as the Open and international football “shouldn’t be a minority sport only for those who can afford satellite television subscriptions.”
He added: “I want all Scotland national games to be shown on free to air terrestrial TV. Everybody in Scotland should be able to watch national team games without having to pay extra or go out to the pub.”
The news comes with UK pay-television broadcaster Sky having reportedly held talks with the R&A, which operates the Open championship, over the potential acquisition of rights for the British golf event.
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson is said to have met this month with Sky managing director Barney Francis at the broadcaster’s headquarters.
UK public-service broadcaster the BBC, a long-term broadcast partner of the Open, has a rights deal for the event that will expire after the 2016 tournament.
However, the Open was recently removed from the crown jewels list, which opens up the potential for deals with pay-television operators.