Premier League owners have held ‘informal discussions’ over ending the Saturday 3pm television blackout, according to a new report.
Currently broadcasters are in England and Scotland are unable to show live matches between 2.45pm and 5.15pm, in line with UEFA statutes, and that affects games from continental Europe too.
The current blackout agreement will remain in place until 2029, owing to the terms and conditions set out for the 2025-29 domestic television rights process that is due to go to tender.
But Premier League owners and investors, particularly those from the US, are reportedly keen to make changes in order to maximise the potential of broadcasting revenue.
Daily Mail’s In The Money cites Chelsea and Manchester United’s US owners as two of the parties most interested in shaking things up – they believe that a change in legislation would also increase the value of clubs across the country.
Premier League rights holders outside of the United Kingdom currently have permission to broadcast all 380 games of the season live, and the next cycle of tender will see up to 250 and 270 on offer to those living in the UK – a signifcant increase on the current quota of 200 but still way short of what’s on offer abroad.
There are concerns from lower league clubs that the scrapping of the blackout would impact attendances and income for those who need it most, but many top-flight supporters argue that ticket availability is extremely limited in the Premier League and there’s no other way of watching the games live.
The blackout idea was first put forward by Burnley chairman Bob Lord in the 1960s as a way of attracting large attendances at games, but many point to Germany’s widespread coverage as an example of matchday crowds remaining full to capacity despite every game being available to watch at home.
By keeping the majority of Britain’s games on Saturdays at 3pm, football clubs can continue to bring in large audiences at stadiums with no harm to their income.
Article 48 of the UEFA Statutes allows any association to decide on a set period of 2.5 hours per Saturday and Sunday during which the transmission of football within that territory is prohibited. Ever since the blackout’s introduction, England and Scotland have applied this to 2:45pm to 5:15pm on a Saturday.
This currently means that no broadcaster can show the 3:15pm game that is usually scheduled from La Liga, while viewers of the 5pm game in Serie A have to check in 15 minutes after the first half has begun.
The only time it was altered was during the early waves of the Covid-19 pandemic – when fans couldn’t attend matches – when games were moved to different times to ensure supporters could watch as much football as possible during troubling times.
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