Watching the Directive: Sports rights and public culture in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland

This paper investigates the way in which the European Union's Television Without Frontiers directive (recently re-named the Audio-Visual Media Services directive, AVMS) was implemented by two neighbouring states, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Focusing on the broadcasting rights for live international cricket matches in England and the rights for the live coverage of the Republic of Ireland soccer team's competitive home matches, the paper will highlight each state's approach to marrying the cultural rights of its citizens with the demands of the free market. The article locates the response of each state within the wider framework of the development of European media markets and their respective industrial/cultural policy therein.