PREMIER LEAGUE 3PM BLACKOUT AXE 'INEVITABLE' AS MORE CLUBS JOIN CALLS TO CHANGE AGREEMENT

The 3pm blackout in the Premier League is edging towards extinction, with a growing number of clubs reportedly pushing for modernisation.

The blackout, which prevents matches played between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday from being broadcast, has been in place since the 1960s. The rule was brought in to try and protect attendances, but is thought by many to be outdated in the modern age.

There has long been speculation about the law being scrapped and now The Daily Mail reports that the move is ‘increasingly inevitable’. The news that all EFL matches will be broadcast live on the opening day of the 2024/25 season on Sky Sports has been viewed as a significant step down the path.

The EFL TV decision does not impact article 48 of UEFA Statutes, which only applies when 50 per cent of Premier League and Championship matches are due to kick-off at that time. But it has shown what could be possible in the top-flight were bosses to rip up the current rule book.

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The argument behind the blackout – protecting attendances – increasingly doesn’t apply to Premier League clubs, many of which sell out every match. And Premier League owners are therefore keen to get a bigger slice of the pie from TV broadcasters.

The next Premier League TV contract, for the period between 2025 and 2029, has already been fixed with Saturday 3pm not included. But the next round of negotiations is due to take place in 2027 and pressure is growing to scrap the blackout, open up the market and increase choice for viewers who pay huge subscription fees.

Sky announced in December that they will show a record 215 matches live per season between 2025 and 2029 – a huge increase of 70 per cent on the current offering. But despite the headline £6.7billion figure and the major increase of matches, the amount going to the clubs actually remains relatively flat.

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The influx of American owners in the Premier League is partly behind the push for 3pm games to be broadcast, with the slot lucrative for US audiences. Although the blackout is governed by UEFA, it is the FA who have the power to apply for it to be removed.

Speaking last year, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said he was happy with the status quo. “We’ve been proponents of Article 48 for the entire Premier League and I don’t see that changing in the near term,” he told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit. But with the EFL leading the way, it is likely that pressure will continue to grow on the Premier League and FA to change its ways.

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2024-05-10T10:11:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd