Richard Burnley, the legal director of the European Broadcasting Union, has called on all countries to establish lists of major events that should be reserved for free-to-air television.
Burnley said that so-called ‘listed events’ legislation in countries like the UK had ensured that important events are seen by the widest possible audience. In the UK, the legislation covers various events, such as the Wimbledon tennis championships.
The EBU, a consortium of free-to-air broadcasters, added that Burnley had also underlined the importance of a territory-specific approach for European broadcasters and rights-holders.
Burnley was speaking at a conference to discuss the preliminary findings into a report on the European e-commerce sector.