Public interest in the recent Ashes test series served to heighten the anger about the removal of Test cricket from free-to-air television. This report looks at the contract between the ECB and Sky; the statutory framework behind the listing of sporting events; the reasons for excluding test cricket from the A list; and the gentleman's agreement, that had existed, that a substantial proportion of Test cricket would be maintained on free-to-air channels. Although the Committee supports the idea of free-to-air broadcasting they do not recommend re-listing in Group A. They recognise that the ECB is best qualified to judge the long-term interests of the game but that they must also balance the public interest.

Sport on television is big business, but it is about more than just commerce. Using a range of national case studies from Europe and beyond, this book analyses the political, economic, social and regulatory issues raised in relation to the buying and selling of television sports rights.

Against a backdrop of increased online distribution of media, this book provides an in-depth analysis of how the platformisation of television is both shaping and being shaped by the changing sports media market. Beginning by looking at the business models and strategies of the major stakeholders involved in the ‘sports broadcasting value chain’, the authors go on to focus on the challenges and opportunities posed by the growth of OTT delivery for the regulation of sports broadcasting in several key areas, including copyright law and piracy; competition issues linked to the buying, selling and distribution of premium sports content; and legislation designed to safeguard coverage of certain national and international sporting events for free-to-air television. Key areas of continuity, such as the persistence of national/regional markets; the importance attached to premium sports rights by rival delivery platforms as a source of ‘market power’; and the need to update key areas of policy and regulation in order to address challenges posed by the use of OTT delivery, are also discussed. This book makes use of a range of international and regional examples and case studies, not least the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, and identifies different strategies employed in the buying, selling and distribution of sports rights for all major parties in the sports media value chain, including new entrant OTT players, traditional pay-TV operators, public service broadcasters, and a range of international sports organizations. Providing a complete assessment of the relevance and future effectiveness of key areas of policy and regulation in sports media distribution, this book is recommended reading for advanced students and researchers of Sports Media, Sports Management, and Media Industries.

Updated, revised and enhanced with new features, the fifth edition of Making Sense of Sports is the biggest and strongest yet. Ellis Cashmore's unique multidisciplinary approach to the study of sports remains the only introduction to combine anthropology, biology, economics, history, philosophy, psychology and sociology with cultural and media studies to produce a distinct unbroken vision of the origins, development and current state of sports. New chapters on exercise culture and the moral climate of sports support a thoroughly overhauled text that includes fresh material on Islam, sports commerce and corruption. Now packed with teaching supplements, including access to a dedicated online resource headquarters with video podcasts of twenty-one chapter outlines from the author (http://tinyurl.com/373oyvr), online quizzes, and an additional twenty-first chapter on depression and mental health in sports and exercise, the new edition contains a cornucopia of thought boxes, as well as guides to further reading, capsule explanations and model essays. In short, Making Sense of Sports is an all-purpose introduction to the study of sports.

Argues that television is the central apparatus of consumer society and its success is measured not in terms of whether we enjoy programs, but how much we spend as a result of watching them. Should be read by anyone who watches television.

All the highlights of 150 editions of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this practical analysis of sports law in New Zealand deals with the regulation of sports activity by both public authorities and private sports organizations. The growing internationalization of sports inevitably increases the weight of global regulation, yet each country maintains its own distinct regime of sports law and its own national and local sports organizations. Sports law at a national or organizational level thus gains a growing relevance in comparative law. The book describes and discusses both state-created rules and autonomous self-regulation regarding the variety of economic, social, commercial, cultural, and political aspects of sports activities. Self- regulation manifests itself in the form of by-laws, and encompasses organizational provisions, disciplinary rules, and rules of play. However, the trend towards more professionalism in sports and the growing economic, social and cultural relevance of sports have prompted an increasing reliance on legal rules adopted by public authorities. This form of regulation appears in a variety of legal areas, including criminal law, labour law, commercial law, tax law, competition law, and tort law, and may vary following a particular type or sector of sport. It is in this dual and overlapping context that such much-publicized aspects as doping, sponsoring and media, and responsibility for injuries are legally measured. This monograph fills a gap in the legal literature by giving academics, practitioners, sports organizations, and policy makers access to sports law at this specific level. Lawyers representing parties with interests in New Zealand will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative sports law.