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16 February 2011
Last updated at 21:13 ET
By Bill Wilson
Business reporter, BBC News
The European Court of Justice is to make a ruling which may decide whether UK football fans can still watch major events on free-to-air TV in future.
Fifa and Uefa are challenging a decision allowing the UK government to designate the World Cup and European Championships as free to watch events.
Both are on the UK list of "protected" events of national sporting importance.
But Fifa and Uefa argue this interferes with their ability to sell their television rights at the best price.
They say there is no reason why all games at tournaments should be shown free on British television.
If the court sides with the two football authorities it could mean drastically reduced numbers of games being shown on terrestrial television, as Fifa and Uefa look to sell off packages of games to pay-TV broadcasters.
However, any games featuring England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would still be shown on free TV, as would the finals and semi-finals of the tournaments.
'Distortion' No home nations qualified for Euro 2008 and England only played in four games at World Cup 2010, but all 31 and 64 games respectively were broadcast in the UK.
Uefa has said the listing infringes its property rights, "as it results in a restriction of the way in which the applicant may market the television rights to the Euro [championships]".
It has also said that showing the entire tournament on free-to-air in the UK "leads to a disproportionate and unjustified distortion of competition on the relevant market".
An EU directive gives all member states the right to designate sporting and cultural events of national interest for broadcast on free-to-air TV stations.
Hence, the Broadcasting Act 1996 gives the British government the power to designate key sporting and other events as "listed events".
The purpose of the list is to ensure that such events are made available to all television viewers, particularly those who do not have subscription television.
In December 2008 the Labour government announced a review of the list, carried out by an independent advisory panel headed by former FA chief executive David Davies.
The panel reported in November 2009 with its recommendations.
But on 21 July 2010, the Coalition government said any decision on the future of the list would be deferred until 2013 - after the conclusion of digital switchover in 2012.
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Fifa and Uefa are challenging a decision allowing the UK government to designate the World Cup and European Championships as free to watch events.
Both are on the UK list of "protected" events of national sporting importance.
But Fifa and Uefa argue this interferes with their ability to sell their television rights at the best price.
They say there is no reason why all games at tournaments should be shown free on British television.
If the court sides with the two football authorities it could mean drastically reduced numbers of games being shown on terrestrial television, as Fifa and Uefa look to sell off packages of games to pay-TV broadcasters.
However, any games featuring England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would still be shown on free TV, as would the finals and semi-finals of the tournaments.
'Distortion' No home nations qualified for Euro 2008 and England only played in four games at World Cup 2010, but all 31 and 64 games respectively were broadcast in the UK.
Uefa has said the listing infringes its property rights, "as it results in a restriction of the way in which the applicant may market the television rights to the Euro [championships]".
It has also said that showing the entire tournament on free-to-air in the UK "leads to a disproportionate and unjustified distortion of competition on the relevant market".
An EU directive gives all member states the right to designate sporting and cultural events of national interest for broadcast on free-to-air TV stations.
Hence, the Broadcasting Act 1996 gives the British government the power to designate key sporting and other events as "listed events".
The purpose of the list is to ensure that such events are made available to all television viewers, particularly those who do not have subscription television.
In December 2008 the Labour government announced a review of the list, carried out by an independent advisory panel headed by former FA chief executive David Davies.
The panel reported in November 2009 with its recommendations.
But on 21 July 2010, the Coalition government said any decision on the future of the list would be deferred until 2013 - after the conclusion of digital switchover in 2012.
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