Sports bodies and broadcasters request tax credits for women's sport TV coverage

A coalition of senior officials from the Football Association, Rugby Football Union and England and Wales Cricket Board, together with leading broadcasters and digital platforms, sent a joint letter to Chancellor John Healey on Friday urging the government to extend the audio‑visual expenditure credit (AVEC) to productions covering women’s sport. The appeal, signed by 25 representatives from organisations such as Sky Sports, ITV and YouTube, argues that rising audience demand for women’s sporting events warrants increased television coverage, which could be facilitated by the same tax relief currently available to independent film and children’s television producers.

The signatories contend that applying the AVEC to women’s sport production would lower costs for independent companies, stimulate investment, and help broadcasters meet growing viewer interest. They ask the Treasury to amend the existing scheme so that eligible expenses incurred in creating women’s sport content qualify for the credit, thereby expanding the supply of televised events and supporting the broader development of women’s sport in the United Kingdom.