A European Parliament report states that broadcasts of sporting events such as football matches should be accessible to the widest possible range of people, including through free-to-air channels.

This point was originally included in an amendment moved by the Labour Member of the European Parliament, Joseph Muscat.

Mr Muscat said the report on the future of professional football in Europe points out that the televised broadcasting of sports competitions was increasingly taking place on encrypted and pay tele-vision channels, with the result that such competitions were becoming inaccessible to a number of televiewers.

The European Parliament stressed the obligations of free broadcasting enshrined in the Television Without Frontiers Directive and said that this could hardly be overestimated.

Mr Muscat said in the debate that this was a clear signal to national authorities.

“We need to strike a balance between pay television and free-to-air broadcasts. If sports becomes a luxury

product, it will be losing its roots,” he said.