Scottish football opens way to end Saturday 3pm broadcast blackout

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 00:15 · Archive

The Scottish Premiership is inviting bids to televise all matches from 2029, potentially removing the Saturday afternoon broadcast blackout that has existed in the UK since the 1960s.

The Scottish Professional Football League has made the first move towards ending the Saturday 3pm television blackout by inviting broadcasters to bid for live rights to all matches in its next rights cycle, starting in 2029.

The blackout, which prevents live coverage between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays when 50 per cent of games in the top two divisions are scheduled, has been in place across the UK since the 1960s. It was originally introduced to protect stadium attendances, not just for the clubs playing but for other matches down the divisions. The restriction is enforced under Article 48 of Uefa's statutes, which allows leagues to set specific times when matches are banned from being shown live.

The SPFL's tender gives broadcasters flexibility to bid on the basis that Article 48 would not be imposed. If the rights sale results in fewer than 50 per cent of fixtures kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, Uefa's Article 48 could no longer be enforced, meaning the blackout in Scotland could be lifted.

Other parts of Europe have experimented with blackouts but the restriction now exists only in the UK. Many European leagues stagger kick-off times so the top divisions do not all play simultaneously, making the blackout impossible to apply. In the UK, 3pm remains the traditional default kick-off time across all leagues from the top down through non-league. As streaming has grown in popularity, critics have argued the blackout hinders clubs' ability to exploit this revenue stream.

The Guardian revealed last year that the Premier League and English Football League were eager for the blackout to be lifted to raise revenues. The SPFL's move is expected to prompt a coordinated attempt by other UK leagues to remove the restriction. The Premier League currently shows all games across the weekend at various times including 12:30pm, 5:30pm and 8pm on Saturdays, plus Friday and Monday evening slots, but maintains the 3pm blackout.

How it is being reported

• Scottish football could end Saturday 3pm blackout in major broadcasting shake-upThe 3pm blackout has been in place across the UK since the 1960sIndependent Sport · 29 Oct, 21:50
• Scottish football could pave way for 3pm TV blackout to endThe first tentative steps to end the 3pm television blackout in the UK have been taken by Scottish football as it seeks offers for the next broadcast cycle.BBC Sport · 29 Oct, 17:43
• Scottish Premiership makes first UK move to remove Saturday 3pm broadcast blackoutScottish Premiership to invite bids to televise all games from 2029 UK leagues expected to launch co-ordinated move to remove blackout The Scottish Premiership has made the first move in what is expected to be a coordinated attempt by the UK’s domestic leagues to remove the Saturday afternoon broadcast blackout by inviting bids to televise all of its matches in the next rights cycle from 2029. A tender document issued by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) last week is understood to have given broadcasters an option to bid for live rights to all matches, including games kicking…The Guardian · 29 Oct, 17:29

In this story: Scottish Professional Football League · Premier League · English Football League · Uefa · Scotland · UK

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