By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor
PUBLISHED: 07:33 EST, 28 October 2013 | UPDATED: 07:39 EST, 28 October 2013
The BBC could lose the rights to broadcast sport's 'crown jewels' including the FA Cup, World Cup and Wimbledon.
At present around £150million of the licence fee is used to buy up some of the world's biggest sporting events so they can be shown free-to-air.
But now ministers have been urged to consider handing that money to rival broadcasters.
THE 'CROWN JEWELS' THE B-LIST (Highlights only)It is suggested that while the so-called 'crown jewels' events in the sporting calendar should be on free-to-view channels, the BBC should not automatically receive the funding to air them.
Tory party chairman Grant Shapps warned at the weekend that television licence fee could be cut unless the BBC tackles a 'culture' of secrecy, waste and bias.
But the aggressive approach could go further, with ministers looking at breaking the link between the BBC and licence fee itself.
Every year the Corporation spends £150million buying the rights to major sporting events, including Wimbledon, the FA Cup, Six Nations rugby, Formula 1, which is now shared with Sky, and Premier League highlights for Match of the Day.
Rival broadcasters believe there should be a level playing field, with the BBC unable to give away for free events that they have to pay for.
The idea has been put to Culture Secretary Maria Miller to allow them to bid for a slice of the licence fee to air sporting events deemed too important and popular to be restricted to pay-to-view premium channels.
A source close to Mrs Miller said: 'There is a conversation to be had there as to whether the BBC should be funding things that are also covered by commercial broadcasters.
'There's an array of sporting events,' the source told the Daily Telegraph.
'It would impact on the licence fee. The money that was given to the BBC could theoretically be given to other broadcasters who were doing something that we would consider of public service.
'The BBC covers a whole range of events which private commercial broadcasters pay to cover.
'The licence fee is not a given right any more. There is an acknowledgement that the change in commercial broadcasters means this is something that needs to be looked at.
'If the BBC doesn't put its house in order we will bring forward talks on the royal charter and start to thrash it out earlier.'
The changes could be forced through as part of the renewal of the BBCs royal charter, due in 2016.
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