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BSkyB will point to new research showing that income from broadcasters is key to funding grassroots sport as part of its pitch to a government review on televised events. The pay-TV giant has commissioned the research from Deloitte as part of a late addition to its submission to an independent panel led by the former Football Association executive director David Davies that is considering the list of events that should be reserved for free-to-air television. Sky, along with other pay-TV broadcasters and rights holders including Uefa and Fifa, wants to see the rules relaxed to give governing bodies more control over where they sell their rights.

Sky will use the research, seen by the Guardian, to back up its case that Test cricket should not return to the "A-list" of events reserved for live broadcast.

Free-to-air broadcasters have commissioned their own studies to show the importance viewers place on being able to see major sporting events on free-to-air television. The BBC has also supplied the panel with in-depth research on the public service benefit of guaranteeing free-to-air coverage for certain events.

The Deloitte study for Sky shows factors that restrict the ability of governing bodies to generate broadcasting revenues "may place increased pressure on other funding sources to cover potential shortfalls". Because it requires no investment by governing bodies to realise, broadcasting income is disproportionately important, it says.

Using the example of the England and Wales Cricket Board, which contentiously sold its live rights exclusively to Sky in 2005 and then renewed the deal for four years in 2008, the study argues that the broadcaster's money has accounted for around 75% of its revenue growth and that the majority of that money has been poured into developing the game at elite and grassroots level.

The BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch has lobbied hard against the restoration of cricket to the list. "When you hear people call for Test cricket to be put back on the list of sporting events reserved for free-to-air television, think hard about the potential consequences of restricting competition for rights, because it's that competition which has helped to unlock the potential of UK sport," he said in a speech earlier this year.

The study also argues that Sky has played a role in developing less visible sports that are not shown on free-to-air TV. Netball, which is shown for two hours a week on Sky during its Superleague season, attributed its ability to secure a sponsorship deal with the Co-op to being shown by the broadcaster. The ECB, unsurprisingly given its £300m contract with Sky, also argued that cricket should not return to the A list. It is understood to have argued in its submission that it should instead remain on the B list to guarantee free to air highlights, but that broadcasters should be forced to air them at a "family friendly" time.

However, it is understood that the BBC is unlikely to argue for the return of live Test cricket to free to air television, citing problems with scheduling the sport. However, the Davies panel is believed to be considering a number of other suggestions, including listing international Twenty20 cricket.

The idea of listing the qualifying games for all the home nations in major international football tournaments is also believed to be under consideration, having been proposed by ITV.

The consultation closed yesterday, with Davies preparing to deliver his conclusions by the autumn.

(Source: Guardian.co.uk)