The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has notified a fresh list of sporting events of national importance under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, bringing a wide range of international and domestic competitions within the ambit of mandatory sharing with the public broadcaster.

The notification supersedes an earlier order issued in May 2022. Under the notification issued on June 11, all editions of the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games have been designated as sporting events of national importance. Broadcasters holding rights to these events will be required to share the broadcast signal with Prasar Bharati in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

For cricket, the notified events include all official One-Day Internationals, Twenty20 Internationals and Test matches played by the Indian men’s and women’s teams, all ICC Test matches featuring India, semi-finals and finals of ICC men’s and women’s ODI and T20 World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals and finals, World Test Championship semi-finals and finals, Asia Cup Super-4/semifinal and final matches, as well as India matches and the semi-finals and finals of the Under-19 World Cup.

The notification also covers a range of events in other sports. In tennis, all Davis Cup matches featuring India and Grand Slam singles finals, along with matches involving Indian players from the quarter-final stage onwards, have been included. Hockey events notified include World Cup matches featuring India, Champions Trophy matches involving India, the Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship, Hockey India Academy National Championship, the FIH Hockey Pro League and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

In football, the list includes FIFA World Cup opening matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, Asia Cup matches featuring India, Santosh Trophy semi-finals and finals, and select age-group and women’s international tournaments.

The notification also covers the All England Open Badminton Championships and Badminton World Federation World Cup Championships involving Indian players, as well as Kabaddi World Cup matches featuring India and the knockout stages.

The government has additionally included games, competitions and leagues associated with the Khelo India Mission, along with international events organised by National Sports Federations recognised by the Government of India.

International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup events, Commonwealth Shooting Championships and Commonwealth Archery Championships have also been notified — albeit with certain conditions.

The notification specifies that certain events, including the Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, Asian Women’s Football Cup, FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup events, Commonwealth Shooting Championships and Commonwealth Archery Championships, will qualify as sporting events of national importance only when India is the host country.  (The images of sportspersons are courtesy their respective X accounts)