Poland expands list of sporting Crown Jewels
August 7, 2026 12.26 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has received European Commission approval for an expanded list of events considered to be of major importance to society.

The decision clears the way for KRRiT to finalise a new regulation replacing the current list, which dates from November 2014. Once in force, the updated list will be protected across the European Union, requiring broadcasters that fall under the jurisdiction of other member states to respect Poland’s free-to-air access rules.

The list covers events that should be available on national free-to-air television, subject only to the Polish RTV licence fee and basic cable operator charges. It supplements events already named in Poland’s Broadcasting Act, including the summer and winter Olympic Games and key football matches involving the Polish national team and Polish clubs.

New additions include men’s basketball matches involving Poland from the quarter-finals of the World Championships and from the last 16 of the European Championships, semi-finals and finals of Grand Slam tennis tournaments involving Polish singles players, UEFA Conference League matches involving Polish clubs from the last 32 onwards, and Poland’s matches in the men’s Elite Ice Hockey World Championship.

The list will continue to include major volleyball and handball matches involving Polish national teams, World Cup ski jumping, the World Nordic Ski Championships and the World and European Athletics Championships.

KRRiT said the update followed consultations with viewers, broadcasters, sports federations, rights holders and public institutions before notification to Brussels. Earlier consultations in 2023 attracted more than 1,700 submissions, with ice hockey and motorsport among the subjects attracting the highest level of public response. Commercial broadcasters and industry groups had argued for a narrower list, while TVP called for further expansion.

Under Article 14 of the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive, member states may designate events of major importance to society so they are not shown exclusively in a way that deprives a substantial proportion of the public of access on free television.

The Commission’s approval means the Polish regulator can now complete the domestic legislative process. The move comes as sports rights across Europe continue to fragment between free-to-air, pay-TV and streaming platforms, increasing the importance of listed-events regimes for national regulators.