By John Cross
Copyright mirror
Armchair football fans got a glimpse of the future last weekend after two games were broadcast live on television during the 3pm Saturday blackout. The Scottish Football Association applied for the ban to be lifted to enable them to show Motherwell’s 1-0 win over Aberdeen in the League Cup. Motherwell advertised the fact that fans could watch it live on Premier Sports. Premier Sports were also able to show live coverage of Real Madrid ’s 2-0 win over Espanyol which kicked off at 3.15pm UK time. La Liga confirmed to Mirror Sport that Real Madrid’s game was shown as two exceptions were granted to the blackout which dates back to the 1960s. It was originally designed to stop fans from staying at home rather than going to live football and the only time it has been lifted on a regular basis was during the Covid pandemic. But a growing number of experts believe it could be scrapped after the current four-year TV deal which started this summer. The Premier League has agreed a new record £6.7bn domestic television deal for Sky and TNT to show up to 270 live games a season. It is already moving in that direction because Sky’s deal covers a minimum of 215 games giving them the option to show every Sunday game live. They will also be able to broadcast all ten games on the final day of each season as well as new regular slots, including Saturday at 8pm. There is a feeling that if the new mega deal is a huge ratings and subscription hit then it will be the pathway to even more games – and potentially all of them being made available. The blackout comes into effect when 50 per cent of fixtures in the top two divisions are scheduled to kick off at 3pm. It affects TV coverage of competitions including the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, English Football League (EFL), Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), FA Cup and Scottish Cup in the Saturday afternoon window. Matches from foreign leagues such as La Liga and Serie A also cannot be shown live between 14:45 and 17:15 on Saturdays. That is why last Saturday was a significant moment – even if it went under the radar. The EFL was able to show every game in their opening weekend because they kicked off a week earlier than the Premier League. They have also sparked a debate about whether the blackout should be lifted. There is a growing belief the blackout will go next time partly because being denied games is pushing more and more people towards piracy and “dodgy sticks” to watch top flight matches. Many London high streets are awash with barber shops and barbers showing games illegally every Saturday and is an ongoing battle for Sky and the Premier League. The Premier League insist there are clear links to organised crime through piracy and they regularly take legal action through the courts against illegal streamers. Even Prince William , a keen Aston Villa fan, has added his weight of opinion insisting that it is wrong that overseas fans can watch games – but English fans can’t. Prince William said earlier this year: “Getting up to Villa Park isn’t the easiest thing for me but I like to watch as many games as I possibly can either by being there or on TV. “The biggest thing at home is trying to find it on TV sometimes because obviously you’ve got the Saturday 3pm blackout which is irritating. “But it’s really annoying that we still can’t watch our own team’s Premier League match in this country but you can go abroad and watch any game any time.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
