John Prescott will be at Aintree today to start an online petition to protect the right to watch the Grand National on free television. Currently, the Grand National and other major events like the FA Cup Final, the Olympic Games, Wimbledon and the World Cup must be offered to free-to-air broadcasters. This ensures that everyone can enjoy key sporting events, including those who cannot afford the extra cost of subscription television.
Tory Shadow Sports Minister, Hugh Robertson, has said that the Tories would cut the "A-list" of sporting events listed for guaranteed free-to-air broadcasting which he says is "an artificial interference" in the running of sport. Last year, 8.6 million people watched the Grand National live on BBC1. But under Tory plans, major events like these could be bought up by the likes of Murdoch's Sky Sports, meaning only those who pay for satellite or cable channels would be able to watch them live.
