EBU Legal Director Richard Burnley has called on all countries to introduce lists of major events that should be broadcast on free-to-air television.
In the UK the list of so-called ‘Crown Jewels’ includes the FA Cup Final and finals of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
Burnley was speaking on a panel during the DG Competition stakeholder conference in Brussels highlighting the preliminary findings of the e-commerce sector inquiry.
He emphasised the effectiveness of the Listed Events legislation in providing EU citizens with what they really want – the best content, tailored to their territory, free-to-air. He called on all countries to introduce lists of major events for free-to-air broadcasting.
Burnley pointed out the reasons why free-to-air content is not subject to the so-called “passive sales” concept under competition law and the importance of territoriality for European broadcasters and rights holders.