MPs Approve Football Regulator but Reject Free-to-Air Premier League Matches | OneFootball

MPs Back Independent Football Regulator in Landmark Premier League Reform

In a moment of rare political consensus, MPs have overwhelmingly voted to usher in a new era of football governance by backing the creation of an independent regulator for the men’s game in England. The Football Governance Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons with a decisive 415 to 98 majority—paving the way for the regulator to become law.

This watchdog, removed from both government and the traditional power structures of football, will be tasked with protecting clubs across the top five tiers of the English game. Its focus? Financial sustainability, fan protection, and long-overdue accountability in a sport too often governed by vested interests.

“I am proud to be part of the winning team that has put our fans back on the pitch at the heart of the game, where they belong,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. Her words reflect the bill’s central premise: to redress years of commercial dominance by Premier League elites at the expense of historic clubs and their communities.

Supporters no longer on the sidelines

The bill’s journey has been anything but linear. First tabled by the Conservative government in March 2024, it stalled ahead of a snap election. Labour revived the legislation in July that year, framing it as a manifesto promise to fans—those too often treated as “an afterthought at best or a nuisance at worst,” in Nandy’s words.

Her passionate speech in the Commons namechecked Bury, Wigan, Bolton, Derby, and others—clubs bruised by mismanagement and neglect. The regulator, she claimed, is for “many, many more who have had to endure the misery of being put last when they should have been put first.”

Photo: IMAGO

Campaign group Fair Game hailed the vote as “a historic step forward,” calling it “a victory for fairness, sustainability and the future of football.”

Free-to-air football proposals denied

Yet reform has limits. MPs rejected a Liberal Democrat proposal to show at least 10 Premier League games on free-to-air television each season. Despite falling broadcast figures—Sky Sports’ viewing numbers down 10% last season and TNT Sports down 17%—the government stood by current regulations.

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock argued, “We all want to see more matches being televised, free-to-air, but that must be balanced against investment and not risk it.”

The Lib Dems revealed fans face annual costs of £660 to access all available Premier League matches, prompting accusations that the sport remains locked behind a paywall.

Alcohol, transparency and dementia left untouched

Other amendments also fell by the wayside. A Conservative attempt to prompt a formal review of the 1985 alcohol ban in football stands was dismissed, despite arguments the restriction causes unsafe congestion at concourses. Plans for a compensation fund for former players with dementia, and transparency requirements for Regulator board appointments, were similarly ruled out.

The shadow hanging over David Kogan’s appointment—due to donations to Lisa Nandy and Prime Minister Keir Starmer—prompted cries of cronyism. Yet the government resisted calls for a political interest register for future appointees.

Despite these unresolved issues, the core reform stands. An independent regulator will soon be law—an institutional shift long demanded, rarely prioritised, but now finally in motion.