[Neil Jones]

The FIFA Men’s World Cup Finals Tournament is designated as a listed event for the purposes of the Broadcasting Act 1996, Ofcom’s consent is needed to broadcast exclusive live television coverage of it.

The criteria for a channel for an event like this is "free-to-view and receivable by 95% of the UK population."

So in other words Prime is not a qualifying service.

It would be interesting to see what happens if FIFA simply refuse to sell to a broadcaster. Ofcom don’t have full power over streaming services so could they actually block them?

Have you not read a word I wrote?

If FIFA don't sell to the BBC or ITV, the legislation means the event is protected and has to go on a channel/outlet that can be seen subject to the criteria. Probably nothing to stop them selling it to Prime, though how is that going to meet the "free to air" criteria and "receivable by 95% of the population" criteria? The latter falls down straight away and the former, well streaming isn't Free to air, because you have to pay for the broadband and the phone line if nothing else.