Broadcasters have been urged to ‘tear down that paywall’ and allow more free-to-air
Premier League games on TV. The Lib Dems , holding their Spring Conference in York, called for at least 10 Premier League matches plus a further 10 from the Scottish Premiership to be broadcast on free channels. Selections from the Six Nations and Ashes, plus 30 more lower league
Football games would also go free-to-air under the party’s new policy, voted through today. It comes as research by the partyfound football fans are left to fork out £870 a year in subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT Sports and
Amazon Prime Video if they want to see Premier League games. The costs are now more than an average season ticket at a Premier League club - which stands at £535 - as millions become priced out of seeing the top tier of English club football. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey playing football with young players in York ( Image: Getty Images) They've called on the government to update the list of sporting fixtures which must have live coverage made available to free-to-air channels to include: At least 10 Premier League matches and 10 Scottish Premiership matches every season At least 20 games from the English Football League and 10 from the Scottish Championship The men’s and women’s Six Nations The Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup The
England men’s Ashes Test at Lords, and the England women’s Ashes fixture at Lords At least one
Cricket test match and one day international per summer The entirety of the
Wimbledon Championships Lib Dem Tim Farron demanded TV chiefs stop “ripping off fans” and “give sports back to the country.” “Greedy broadcasters are ripping off fans and preventing young boys and girls from being inspired to take up the sport,” he said. “Fans are being priced out of watching live football and other key sporting events. That is frankly a disgrace. It’s time the Government committed to more free to air key sporting events on television.”