The Government will launch a review next year into whether the Olympics should stay on free-to-air TV, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt says.
The BBC have been awarded the Olympic rights up until 2020 but pay-TV broadcasters such as Sky would be able to bid for the rights after that if the Listed Events rules are relaxed.
The Government shelved a review of Listed Events – known as the Crown Jewels of sport that have to be shown on free-to-air TV – carried out under the previous Labour Government, but Hunt said they will look into the issue again once the digital switchover is complete.
Hunt said: “We are going to have a look at it.
“We postponed it until the digital switchover was completed this autumn.
“We thought that was the right thing to do because the broadcasting landscape is likely to change.”
In other countries, the International Olympic Committee sell the rights to pay-TV broadcasters who then subcontract 200 hours to free-to-air stations to show.
There has been some pressure on Britain from the IOC to adopt a similar practice, but so far that has been resisted.
The BBC are believed to have paid around £120million for the rights to the next four Olympics – two winter Games and two summer Games.
Other Listed Events include the FA Cup final, the World Cup, the European Championships, the Derby, the Grand National and Wimbledon.