Lifted from the ITC website..
Sport on Television
The restrictions on any one broadcaster obtaining exclusive rights to certain sporting events of national interest was established originally by the Television Act 1954, giving the Government the power to draw up a list of non-exclusive or protected events, more generally known as ?listed? events.
Broadcasting Act 1996
The Act contains provisions to protect the availability of live coverage of listed events on free-to-air television. A subscription or pay-per-view service is not permitted to broadcast live coverage of a listed event unless rights are also made available to terrestrial free-to-air services with national coverage (the BBC, ITV or Channel 4). Equally, and on the basis of reciprocity, a terrestrial service is not permitted to broadcast live coverage of a listed event unless rights are similarly made available to subscription or pay-per-view services (and Channel 5). The ITC?s consent must be obtained for an event to be shown on a single channel.
Category A events: The Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup Finals Tournament, the FA Cup Final, the Scottish FA Cup Final (in Scotland), the Grand National, the Derby, the Wimbledon Tennis Finals, the European Football Championship Finals Tournament, the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final and the Rugby World Cup Final.
Category B events: Cricket Test Matches played in England, non-finals play in the Wimbledon Tournament, all other matches in the Rugby World Cup Finals Tournament, Six Nations Rugby Tournament matches involving home countries, the Commonwealth Games, the World Athletics Championship, the Cricket World Cup (final, semi-final and matches involving home nations? teams), the Ryder Cup, the Open Gold Championship
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ITC ARTICLE