MPs, however, voted against a proposal from the Liberal Democrats to make at least 10 Premier League games available on free-to-air television each season.
The new clause would have also required the League Cup final, and the Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals to be free-to-air.
In the UK, the list of ‘crown jewels’ sports events, which cannot solely be shown by broadcasters who charge viewers, includes football’s World Cup and European Championships as well as the FA Cup final.
Live Premier League matches have been broadcast behind a paywall since the league’s inception 33 years ago, with only a handful of games shown on the BBC during Covid in 2020.
Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock said: “The government believes that the current list of events works well, and it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue.
“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 claimed analysis of subscription prices shows that to watch each available Premier League game live next season fans will have to pay £660 a year.
Lib Dem Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said they were “deeply disappointed” by the vote result.
Last month, it was revealed Premier League television viewing figures on main live rights-holder Sky Sports were down 10% last season, while TNT Sports had a 17% reduction in its year-on-year figures.
From next season, 10 Championship matches will be shown live free to air on ITV after an agreement between the EFL and rights-holder Sky Sports.
