The Scottish National Party has said that all Scotland national football team games will be reserved for free-to-air television in the country if the party wins a 2014 referendum for Scotland to become independent from the UK.
The party’s culture secretary, Fiona Hyslop, told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper that the national team’s matches would be included in a ‘Crown Jewels’ list of events that must be available on free-to-air television.
“In an independent Scotland we would have the powers to ensure Scotland’s World Cup and European Championship qualifying matches were available for everyone to watch on free-to-air TV,” Hyslop said. “The Scottish government has consistently argued for Scotland’s football matches to be added to the list of sporting events that must be available live on free-to-air television.”
The UK’s current list of events reserved for free-to-air broadcasts does not include Scotland matches.
UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB has the rights to Scotland’s home and away qualifiers for the Uefa Euro 2016 and 2018 Fifa World Cup tournaments. Commercial broadcaster STV only shows highlights of Scotland’s games.