Westminster needs to do more to ensure major sporting events are shown on free-to-air TV or devolve broadcasting powers so Holyrood can act on the issue, Scottish sport minister Jamie Hepburn said.
He made the call after the BBC lost the rights to screen golf’s Open Championship live, with Sky set to broadcast the famous tournament from 2017.
Mr Hepburn said he is “extremely disappointed” that what is “arguably the world’s greatest golf tournament” will no longer be available to viewers on free-to-air TV.
He insisted it could “not be right” that the Open is not one of the so-called “crown jewel” events in the sporting calendar which are required to be shown on free-to-air channels.
This list includes the Olympic Games, the World Cup, the Scottish and English FA Cup finals, the Grand National, the Derby and the Wimbledon finals.
The Scottish Government has argued for the Open, golf’s Ryder Cup and Scotland football internationals to be included in this group, with Mr Hepburn adding he is also worried rugby’s 6 Nations Championship could shift to a pay TV broadcaster.
Mr Hepburn said a UK-wide independent advisory panel, set up to review the crown jewels list, had recommended an extended list of events be protected for live transmission on free-to-air television, including home football internationals and the Open.
He said: “The Scottish Government contributed to that panel’s review, and we supported its findings. I am therefore very frustrated that no progress has been made on extending the list of protected live events.
“I am now calling on the UK Government to act swiftly to extend that list so that Scotland’s young sports fans, regardless of background, can continue to be inspired by these great sporting moments.
“They should either give increased protection to major events, or devolve this element of broadcasting law to Holyrood so we can make these decisions in Scotland for the benefit of Scotland’s sports fans and Scottish sport.”
With the Open having been shown live by the BBC, the sports minister said it is “hard to quantify how many young people, watching thrilling contests on the greens of St Andrews, Turnberry or Troon, have been inspired to pick up a club for the first time”.
While the BBC will still show highlight programmes from 2017, Mr Hepburn argued this is “no substitute for being able to watch the action unfolding as it happens”.
He said the announcement that the Open is to be shown live by Sky “simply highlights the wider issue of access to some of the biggest sporting events on terrestrial TV”.
“It cannot be right that an event as prestigious as the Open is not on the so-called ‘crown jewels’ list of protected sporting events.
“The Scottish Government has consistently argued that the Open, the Ryder Cup, and Scotland football internationals should be guaranteed as terrestrial events. I also have concerns about the Rugby 6 Nations Championship, which ends its BBC contract in 2017 and could potentially shift to a pay-per-view broadcaster.”
A UK Government spokesman said: “It is up to the RA who they award the Open golf broadcasting coverage to. The governing body has been clear that the broadcasting deal that they have struck can strengthen the game at the grassroots and help increase participation. There are no plans to review the current listed event rules.”