Rejected petition Bring back Bond to free-to-air TV

Watching James Bond on a cold, wet Bank Holiday is a British tradition dating back to 1975 when ITV acquired the rights to Ian Fleming's array of Bond classics. Following Sky's purchase of the UK broadcast rights, the vast majority of the British public will be unable to enjoy the timeless double-entendres, raised eyebrows, and shameless product placement.

As the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film approaches, we believe that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport should set up an independent advisory panel (ideally chaired by Sir Sean Connery) to consider granting Bond films with the Free-to-Air status currently accorded to many sporting events, and providing these films the 'National Treasure' status they so richly deserve. What’s more, we believe nobody should have to pay to see Moonraker.