What’s on? – Women’s football Euros (no men’s international competition this year), which is in July, the British and Irish Lions rugby tour including three tests in Australia, Wimbledon (yes it’s getting close again), test cricket, the open golf and in September the Ryder Cup golf.
Do these have any licensing implications?
Amazingly perhaps, the answer is ‘no’. Live sport (and live TV and radio) is not licensable and so one can simply purchase a TV (and a TV licence of course) and start showing it in my pub tomorrow.
Timings
Most of these events will not cause any timing issues apart from the Lions Rugby tests in Australia. I note that these are due to start at 11am rather than the previous 8am which is more helpful.
However, it is important to check your premises licence because you may want to offer breakfast and/or the bar as early as 10am or even 9.30am and therefore it is probable that you would need a TEN if you wanted to sell alcohol early so please do check and remember it is 10 working days notice for a TEN.
Are there any copyright issues?
No if the sport is on terrestrial TV and much of those mentioned above will be then no extra permission (other than a TV licence) is needed but if you are showing sport on satellite then you will need a separate licence granted by the provider or its agent acting on its behalf.
Other potential issues – be wary of “high spirits” which can happen more in a sport such as football where there is a high level of partisan involvement but not so much in individual sport such as tennis or golf (Ryder Cup excepted).
If the sport is likely to be popular should the premises sell tickets, provide food other entertainment or therefore, particularly if the event is later, consider additional members of staff, polycarbonate receptacles and maybe even door staff?
Issues outside – some pubs have in built TVs in their external area and some put a TV up for sporting events.
Again, the TV itself is not licensable, but it is sensible to check your premises licence in relation to the external area and any conditions affecting timings.
Bizarrely, I have known a condition on a premises licence which prevents a TV and because its function is not simply to provide music, the Live Music Act will not help you and so a TEN would be needed to avoid the condition applying.
Watching TV sport outside in the summer is a very enjoyable past time but of course may lead to more noise and therefore you must be mindful of local residents and complaints or reports to the local authority that maybe made if it gets over rowdy.
Control of numbers, drinks, seating, etc should all be considered but here’s to a warm successful and rewarding sporting summer.
- James Anderson is a partner at Poppleston Allen
