Premier League 3pm blackout 'highly likely to be scrapped' as date emerges for ban lift

The Premier League 3pm blackout could reportedly be scrapped in the next round of broadcast details.

Currently, football fans in the United Kingdom aren’t able to watch matches that kick off at three o’clock on a Saturday.

It’s down to UEFA’s article 48 which allows member nations to implement a time period where football broadcasts across a two-and-a-half-hour window on weekends can be ‘blacked out’.

The UK is the only country left in Europe that implements such a rule, with fears that live broadcasts of matches played at 3pm would impact attendance figures for clubs lower down the pyramid, therefore restricting the amount of cash they’re able to generate.

However, according to a report from The Times, when the next round of bidding for the Premier League’s television rights takes place ahead of the 2029/30 season, the 3pm blackout is unlikely to survive the cut.

It would have huge ramifications up and down the pyramid, as well as impacting the women’s game too.

It’s claimed the FA had tried to get the Women’s Super League exempt from the 3pm blackout – something that was opposed on legal grounds.

While research claims scrapping the 3pm blackout could leave EFL clubs £37million short on matchday revenue – figures which might have to be factored into future TV deals.

There are also suggestions that any change to broadcast regulations for Saturday fixtures could increase the likelihood of the Premier League implementing a ‘direct-to-viewer streaming system’.

The league announced last month it was taking the step to produce and distribute its own live coverage of fixtures, having ended its two-decade-long partnership with IMG’s Premier League Productions.

From next season changes to the format of Premier League weekends are set to be brought in, with every match that isn’t played during the 3pm blackout window expected to be available to watch on television for UK viewers.

Previously, only matches specifically pre-selected for coverage by the broadcasters were shown on television, meaning on weeks where several Premier League teams were involved in Thursday night European matches, their subsequent Sunday fixtures weren’t shown on television.

It’s to be ushered in as part of the new broadcast deal, which will see up to 270 of 380 Premier League matches per year shown on TV and run until the end of the 2028/29 season.