Statement: Listed events – implementing the Media Act 2024

Statement published 8 July 2026

The listed events regime aims to ensure certain sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the men’s and women’s football World Cups, are widely available to audiences for free. As part of implementing changes to the listed events regime by the Media Act, Ofcom is required to define a number of terms used in the regime and revise our Code on listed events. 

Live sport has the power to bring people across the country together, promoting a sense of national identity, engagement and pride among people of different backgrounds, circumstances and interests. The listed events regime, which has for decades played an important role in creating these shared cultural moments, aims to ensure certain sporting events of national interest – such as the Olympic Games and the men’s and women’s football World Cups – are widely available to audiences in the UK for free. The events themselves are designated by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. 

The Media Act makes significant changes to the listed events regime. Instead of being restricted to traditional broadcast channels, the updated regime will include any services which can be used to show live coverage of listed events to UK audiences – including Public Service Broadcasters’ (PSBs) on-demand players, global media platforms and other internet-based streaming services. The Media Act also changes the categories into which services are split, so that one category broadly includes only services provided by PSBs which are accessible for free. All other services are in the other category. 

This statement sets out Ofcom’s decision to make the Listed Events (Coverage) Regulations 2026 (“the Regulations”). The Regulations, which define certain terms used in the regime, form part of our work to implement the Media Act 2024. The Regulations come into force on 1 January 2027, which is the date the Secretary of State has chosen to bring into force the Media Act’s changes to the listed events regime.

We have also:

• Issued our Code on Listed and Designated Events, which is unchanged from the draft Code we published in January 2026.
• Published a statement setting out our decision to remove the conditions relating to listed events from television broadcast licences. 

We will engage further with stakeholders ahead of the updated regime taking effect to address any questions about the practicalities of the updated regime.