Manchester United and Man City could have more of their matches broadcast live on TV in the future
Manchester United and Man City could have more of their matches broadcast live on TV in the future
Manchester United and Manchester City fans could soon be able to watch all of their teams' matches on live TV if a major rule change is passed.
English football currently has a 3pm blackout rule which prevents Premier League and Championship matches from being televised on a Saturday afternoon between 2.45pm and 5.15pm. Should United and City kick-off at this time, then fans in the UK are currently unable to watch the fixture on live TV.
The 3pm blackout rules have been in place in English football for decades, but a fresh report has claimed that there could be a change in the not-so-distance future. According to The Times, there is "intense pressure" for the blackout rules to be scrapped for good amid the increasing number of matches being televised across the globe.
The current TV deal for Premier League and EFL clubs runs until the end of the 2028/29 season. The report claims that the start of the 2029/30 season could be the first year that the 3pm blackout rule is no longer in place across the UK.
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It has been suggested that the increasing number of matches being broadcast in the UK is making the 3pm blackout on Saturday afternoons appear "out of date". As a result, United and City fans may soon be able to watch their teams' matches more than ever from 2029.
The Premier League already has a deal in the United States which has their matches available to watch live on CBS as well as via their streaming service, Peacock. It remains to be seen if the UK will provide a direct-to-viewer streaming service for all top-flight matches to fans in the UK.
From next season, the number of Premier League fixtures being televised in the UK will increase to 270 from the current number of 200. This will mean that every top-flight match that is not in the Saturday 3pm slot will be available for fans to watch on live TV with either Sky Sports, TNT Sport or Amazon Prime which are the current providers in the UK.