Sport and the Media

Jack Sargeant MS

This week the Senedd debated and voted in favour of a Welsh Government motion that welcomed the formation of an expert panel which will explore the establishment of a shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales.

I spoke about the benefits to Welsh football of live broadcasting more Cymru Premier and Adran league games, free-to-view. You can read my contribution to the debate here:

“I do welcome the opportunity today to talk about this very timely debate. I think Welsh broadcasting, in all of its forms, at its best, should tell our national story, and it should reflect the interests and the passions of Wales. This isn’t just about politics or news, whilst I do agree they form an important role, but our nation is passionate and proud about pêl-droed, about football, and it wants to engage with its national game. Llywydd, the Welsh women’s and men’s leagues are growing in popularity, but, if we are to truly build upon this, then the leagues must be broadcast live, free to view, free to listen.

I do want to pay tribute here to our national broadcaster, S4C, because S4C is a long-standing and consistent supporter of the game in Wales, and I think it can certainly be described as the home of Welsh football. The Minister will know I’ve tabled a number of written questions on this matter, and it is a great privilege to watch Sgorio, to watch the live coverage of the Cymru national team’s progress in the World Cup qualifiers, and it is, too, important to note how great it is to watch BBC Wales’s live coverage of every match as Cymru’s women attempt to qualify for the 2023 World Cup competition, and of course we wish them every success in this Senedd Chamber.

Llywydd, just this past season, S4C has broadcast 47 live matches from the Cymru Premier League and the Welsh national cup competitions. But we should be aspiring to broadcast more each week, and significantly increase the coverage of the women’s game. Members will know, and the Llywydd will know, that I will declare an interest here, as I am an unpaid, proud member and club ambassador of the mighty two-time Welsh Premier League champions, Connah’s Quay Nomads FC.

Llywydd, I do support today the spirit of the motion in the establishment of an expert panel, and I do look forward to seeing the detail that will come out of the expert panel, and the proposals of what devolution of broadcasting will mean for our nation. But I do see it as an ideal opportunity to improve broadcasting for our national leagues and our international football. It’s my ambition, Minister, to come out of this process and, when the expert panel does publish its detailed proposals, that Welsh league football, both the women’s and men’s leagues, will be broadcast live — more games, more frequently, free to view, free to listen, in both of our national languages. I’d be grateful if the Minister can update the Chamber on whether she agrees with my ambition, and whether she will commit, today, to putting that ambition to the expert panel and asking them to respond directly to it.

Jack Sargeant is the Senedd member for Alyn and Deeside