The Listed Events (Coverage) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 7th Jul 26

These Regulations define the technical and legal standards for broadcasting events of national interest in the United Kingdom under the listed events regime. They specify what constitutes live coverage, establish the criteria for adequate live coverage of multi-sport events, and set minimum requirements for alternative audiovisual and radio coverage of Group B events.

The rules apply to providers of relevant broadcasting and internet-based services and are enforced by the Office of Communications (Ofcom).

Arguments For

The regulations state that the Office of Communications (Ofcom) possesses the authority to define coverage standards under section 104ZA of the Broadcasting Act 1996.
Proponents of the listed events regime argue that ensuring sporting and other events of national interest are available to the public supports cultural and national cohesion.
The document notes that Ofcom conducted a public consultation and impact assessment prior to making the regulations, as required by the Communications Act 2003.
According to the regulation's framing, the specific definitions for live coverage and adequate alternative coverage provide legal clarity for broadcasters regarding their obligations when acquiring rights.

Arguments Against

Broadcasters may argue that the specific duration requirements for alternative audiovisual coverage (e.g., 10% of scheduled duration) impose rigid technical constraints on editorial flexibility.
Commercial rights holders might contend that the restrictions on live coverage and the requirement for free-to-air radio commentary could impact the market value of broadcasting rights.
Questions may be raised by legal observers regarding the complexity of the interaction between these regulations and the primary legislation, specifically the Media Act 2024.
Implementation difficulties may arise for digital service providers who must ensure continuous internet radio service synchronization to meet the 'corresponding' service requirements.

—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Listed Events (Coverage) Regulations 2026.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 1st January 2027.
(3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
(4) In these Regulations- 'the 1990 Act' means the Broadcasting Act 1990; 'the 1996 Act' means the Broadcasting Act 1996; 'the 2003 Act' means the Communications Act 2003. (5) References in these Regulations to days of an event are to any periods of play and other activity into which an event is divided which are based (or approximately based) on calendar days in the location or locations where the event takes place.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become legally effective as January 1, 2027.

It defines the geographical jurisdiction as the entire United Kingdom.

It also provides definitions for several primary pieces of legislation and clarifies that 'days' refers to the calendar days where the event is physically occurring.

—(1) This regulation applies for the purposes of Part 4 of the 1996 Act, other than section 101B (restriction on televising of an event designated by an EEA State or other CTT State). (2) Coverage of a listed event is to be treated as live coverage where it—

(a) shows play or other activity in that event, and (b) is included in a relevant service for reception or access while the event is taking place. But this is subject to paragraphs (3) and (4). (3) Where an event takes place over a period of more than 24 hours, coverage is only to be treated as live coverage where it—
(a) shows play or other activity taking place on a particular day of the event, and
(b) is included in a relevant service for reception or access while play or other activity in the event is taking place on that day. (4) But coverage is not to be treated as live coverage where it is included in a programme that consists of highlights of the event (or a part of the event), together with any surrounding content such as analysis. (5) Coverage treated as live coverage in accordance with this regulation is still to be so treated where users accessing that coverage may use a functionality to view it at a later time (for example, by pausing or restarting the coverage).

Coverage is defined as live if it is broadcast or made available via a relevant service while the event is currently happening.

Highlighting and analysis programs are specifically excluded from the definition of live coverage.

The regulation ensures that user-controlled features like pausing or restarting do not change the legal status of the coverage from being considered 'live'.

—(1) This regulation applies for the purposes of section 101(4)(c) of the 1996 Act. (2) Rights to provide additional coverage of a sporting event that involves different sports are taken to be rights to provide adequate live coverage of the event if the rights (taken together)—

(a) in relation to the whole of the event, allow live coverage of two or more parts of the event to be shown simultaneously at any time during which play or other activity in the event is taking place; and
(b) meet the requirements set out in paragraph (3). Live coverage of different parts of the event which may be shown simultaneously are referred to in this regulation as 'streams'. (3) The requirements set out in this paragraph are that, in relation to at least two of the streams, the rights— (a) give the person or persons who have acquired those rights editorial control over both—
(i) which parts of the event are shown in those streams, and
(ii) the time at which live coverage of play or other activity is shown;
(b) allow those streams to be included in any relevant services meeting the requirements set out in section 101(4)(e) which that person or those persons provide (so that in particular each stream can be both broadcast and made available for access by means of the internet); and
(c) allow functionality to be included in those services enabling users accessing the coverage to view it at a later time (for example, by pausing or restarting the coverage).

Broadcasters of multi-sport events must provide at least two simultaneous streams of different parts of the event to meet the 'adequate' standard.

The rights holder must maintain editorial control over the content and timing of these streams.

Furthermore, the streams must be accessible via both traditional broadcasting and the internet, including time-shifting capabilities for the viewer.

—(1) This regulation applies for the purposes of section 101(6)(c) of the 1996 Act. (2) Rights to provide additional coverage of a Group B event are taken to be rights to provide adequate alternative coverage of the event if the rights (taken together) allow both adequate alternative audiovisual coverage and radio commentary to be provided (see regulations 5 and 6).

This provision clarifies that for Group B listed events, 'adequate alternative coverage' must consist of both audiovisual elements and radio commentary.

It serves as the link between the general requirement and the specific standards detailed in the following sections.

—(1) Rights allow adequate alternative audiovisual coverage to be provided if they—

(a) allow audiovisual coverage of the event to be included in relevant services with a duration of at least—
(i) in the case of an event scheduled to take place over a period of 24 hours or less—
(aa) where the event has a scheduled duration of less than one hour, 10% of that scheduled duration;
(bb) where the event has a scheduled duration of between one and five hours, 30 minutes;
(cc) where the event has a scheduled duration of more than five hours, 10% of that scheduled duration;
(ii) in the case of an event scheduled to take place over a period of more than 24 hours, for each day of the event—
(aa) where the event has a scheduled duration of less than one hour on that day, 10% of that scheduled duration;
(bb) where the event has a scheduled duration of between one and five hours on that day, 30 minutes;
(cc) where the event has a scheduled duration of more than five hours on that day, 10% of that scheduled duration;
(b) allow that coverage to be both broadcast and made available for access by means of the internet;
(c) give the person who has acquired those rights editorial control over—
(i) which parts of the event are shown in that coverage, and
(ii) when that coverage is first broadcast or made available for access, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3); and
(d) allow that coverage to be made available for access by means of an on-demand programme service or non-UK on-demand programme service for at least 24 hours after it is first broadcast or made available for access. (2) The rights may include a restriction requiring a delay after the scheduled end of the event (or, in the case of an event taking place over a period of more than 24 hours, the scheduled end of play or other activity in the event on each day of the event), provided that the restriction allows the coverage to be broadcast and made available no later than the time specified in paragraph (3). (3) That time is—
(a) where the scheduled end of the event (or of play or other activity in the event on a particular day of the event) is after midnight but before 8.00 a.m., 10.00 a.m.;
(b) where the scheduled end of the event (or of play or other activity in the event on a particular day of the event) is at or after 8.00 a.m. but before 8.30 p.m., two hours after the scheduled end;
(c) where the scheduled end of the event (or of play or other activity in the event on a particular day of the event) is at or after 8.30 p.m. but before 10.00 p.m., 10.30 p.m;
(d) where the scheduled end of the event (or of play or other activity in the event on a particular day of the event) is at or after 10.00 p.m. but not after midnight, 30 minutes after the scheduled end.

This section sets mandatory minimum durations for alternative audiovisual coverage based on the event's total length, such as 30 minutes for events lasting between one and five hours.

It requires that this coverage be available via broadcast and the internet, as well as on-demand for at least 24 hours.

The regulation also sets strict deadlines for when this alternative coverage must be released to the public after the event concludes.

Rights allow radio commentary to be provided if they—

(a) allow live radio commentary of the event to be provided;
(b) give the person who has acquired those rights editorial control over which parts of the event are included in that commentary; and
(c) allow that commentary to be both broadcast and distributed by means of the internet in the United Kingdom.

To meet the radio commentary requirement, rights must permit live commentary with full editorial control by the broadcaster.

The content must be distributed through both traditional radio signals and internet-based methods within the UK.

—(1) This regulation applies for the purposes of section 101(6)(d) of the 1996 Act. (2) The person who has acquired rights to provide adequate alternative audiovisual coverage must be the provider of a relevant service that—

(a) where the service in which live coverage of the event is to be included ('the first service') falls within the category of service set out in section 98(1)(b) of the 1996 Act, falls into the category of service set out in section 98(1)(a) of that Act, and
(b) is provided for an area that consists of or includes all or almost all of the area for which the first service is provided. (3) The person who has acquired rights to provide radio commentary must be the provider of both—
(a) a national radio service, and
(b) an internet radio service that—
(i) corresponds to that national radio service, and
(ii) can be played free of charge. (4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), an internet radio service corresponds to a national radio service if, disregarding advertisements, all of the programmes included in the internet radio service are broadcast on the national radio service at the same time as they are provided by the internet radio service. (5) In this regulation— 'digital sound programme service' has the same meaning as in Part 2 of the 1996 Act (see section 40 of that Act); 'internet radio service' has the same meaning as in Part 3B of the 2003 Act (see section 362BF of that Act); 'national digital sound programme service' has the same meaning as in Part 2 of the 1996 Act (see section 60(1) of that Act); 'national radio service' means—
(a) a sound broadcasting service provided by the BBC or authorised to be provided by a licence to provide a national service under Part 3 of the 1990 Act, or
(b) a digital sound programme service provided by the BBC or authorised to be provided by a licence to provide a national digital sound programme service under Part 2 of the 1996 Act; 'national service' has the same meaning as in section 245 of the 2003 Act; 'provide', in relation to a sound broadcasting service or a digital sound programme service, has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the 2003 Act (see section 362(2) and (3) of that Act) (and the reference to 'provider' is to be read accordingly); 'sound broadcasting service' has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the 1990 Act (see section 126 of that Act).

This section dictates that providers of alternative audiovisual coverage must belong to specific regulatory categories and cover roughly the same geographic area as the primary broadcaster.

Radio commentary providers must operate a national radio service and a matching, free-to-charge internet radio service. The internet stream must broadcast the same content at the same time as the national radio broadcast to qualify as a 'corresponding' service.

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