Listed Events challenged by football's European and world governing bodies
The Listed Events of seven countries, including England, Germany, Belgium and France, have come under scrutiny. To date only FIFA has launched an appeal but its arguments are echoed by UEFA.
In England, "Category A" events which must be broadcast live on terrestrial television include the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championships and the IRB Rugby World Cup Final. "Category B" events such as home test cricket matches and the Ryder Cup must have highlights footage shown on terrestrial television. UEFA argues that a Manchester United v Arsenal Barclays Premiership showdown (which is not protected as a Listed Event) is of greater national importance to the English public than a match such as Ukraine versus Denmark at the UEFA European Championships (which is protected), to the detriment of broadcast rights holders operating across several media platforms.
The international sports agency Infront set the ball rolling in December 2005 by obtaining a ruling from the European Court that the Commission had formally to approve or reject countries' proposed Listed Events.
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