FOOTBALL’S Saturday afternoon TV blackout could be facing the axe after more than 60 years.
While 3pm games across the Prem and EFL cannot be shown live on TV other than in specific circumstances, the UK is the last country in Europe with that policy in place.
And Sun Sport has been told of a growing belief among league chiefs that the concept is now out of date – and should be changed within five years.
The new four-year Premier League TV deal, with up to 270 of the 380 matches being shown live, begins next term and will run to the end of the 2028-29 season.
Sky’s £935m five year EFL deal, with more than 1,000 games per season being shown, will also run out at the same time, making way for a major rethink by the game’s authorities.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/pollingwidgets/v3/widget.js?question_id=82611&game=score_predictorAnd while the FA, which has policed the blackout since it was introduced to protect match attendances in the 1960s, had previously started its opposition to the policy being lifted, the wishes of the leagues could see a change of heart.
The existence of the blackout has been a factor in the number of illegal streams with decoder boxes being used to broadcast international TV feeds in the UK.
EFL analysis of this season is understood to have demonstrated little significant impact on match-day attendances despite the extra number of Saturday lunchtime games being shown.
European football for seven – potentially eight – top flight teams next season will also see even more matches moved from Saturday to Sunday TV slots.
Last month Prem club bosses agreed “unanimously” to end its 20-year partnership with media giant IMG and build the League’s own in-house production centre.
That opens the possibility of a future “Premflix” direct to consumer offer to fans, with the remaining Saturday 3pm matches an obvious option to raise even more cash for clubs.
