"...widespread acceptance is that sport is of public value and it is this value that underpins the argument for legal protection." Discuss

The first 200 words of this essay...

"...widespread acceptance is that sport is of public value and it is this value that underpins the argument for legal protection."1

Sport's role in society can be traced back to the ancient times. Games played by the early Greeks were grounded in mythology and religious beliefs. Held in conjunction with festivals, they involved prayer, sacrifices and ritual feasts. As popularity at Olympia grew, they adopted further social, political and economic importance. Romans developed this, packaging sport in military training and appealing to the masses.2 Today's highly 'commercialised', 'trans-national' and enlarged Europe remains extremely sporting.

Arguably, sport confers a sense of 'unity', transcending social loyalties, perhaps, the very lynchpin of a hegemonic system, while technology allows the media -particularly through television broadcasting 'sacrosanct' events3 - to remain central in reproducing this 'unity'. Consequently, free-to-air broadcasting4 and sport have enjoyed "a unique symbiosis".5 While globalisation and market liberalisation expand potential consumer markets, growing competition for broadcasting rights raises a further issue.6 Is the mere public's interest in watching sport a sufficient reason to require availability on television free of charge and legally protected?7 If so, does that right flow, as Lord Hoffman suggested, from 'citizenship'?8 Conversely, no one would