Sports ministers ask for TV blackout in Russia and Belarus

Sports ministers from around the world, including Ireland, have called for a sports television blackout in Russia and Belarus.

The group of 35 ministers called on national and international rights holders to cease transmission of their events to those countries amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been supported by Belarus.

The ministers have also urged international sports federations to suspend the membership of Russian and Belarusian national governing bodies, and to remove anyone closely aligned to those states from their boards and committees.

The Premier League suspended its deal with Rambler to broadcast in Russia in March, which expired at the end of last season. The league confirmed last month that its new deal, with Match TV, has also been indefinitely suspended.

While UEFA and FIFA have banned Russian national teams and clubs from their competitions until further notice, the Russian Football Union has retained membership of both organisations and was represented at the FIFA Congress in March and the UEFA Congress in May.

Alexander Dyukov, who chairs the management board of the Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom, is still a member of UEFA’s executive committee.

Similarly, the Russian Olympic Committee has not been suspended by the International Olympic Committee, while Shamil Tarpishchev and Yelena Isinbayeva remain IOC members.

A statement on behalf of the ministers’ group said: "Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, facilitated by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent and a flagrant breach of its international obligations.

"Respect for human rights and peaceful relations between nations form the foundation of international sport."

The recommended restrictions, along