The Premier League has been handed an exemption from the 3pm TV blackout that would allow the league to broadcast certain matches during that slot
The Premier League have made a fresh decision regarding the 3pm blackout
The Premier League have made a fresh decision regarding the 3pm blackout
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The Premier League has been granted an exemption from the traditional 3pm TV blackout, which would enable certain matches to be broadcast during that timeslot.
As reported by The Athletic, a recent amendment permits fixtures to be aired on two specific days over the festive period. These dates are Saturday, 27 December and Saturday, 3 January, which are set to host the 18th and 20th gameweek of the 2025/26 season.
This change means that matches scheduled for 3pm on these two Saturdays can be broadcast live, overturning the usual blackout at this time.
However, despite having the permission to air matches at this time, The Athletic states that the Premier League does not plan to utilise this opportunity to broadcast these fixtures.
Currently, there are 10 fixtures planned for 27 December and another 10 for 3 January, but the Premier League has yet to confirm its fixture changes and UK TV broadcast selections for the festive period, including Boxing Day (26 December) or New Year's Day (1 January).
When asked about the blackout at the Leaders football conference earlier this month, Premier League CEO Richard Masters stated: "We are committed to it for the foreseeable future and it's not a decision that we make, it's done in conjunction with other football bodies, the EFL (English Football League) and the FA (English Football Association)."
The 3pm blackout rule, first conceived in the 1960s and implemented in the UK since the mid-80s, primarily exists to protect lower-league match attendance from being affected if Saturday 3pm games are broadcast live on television.
However, it has also been linked to the growing trend of illegal streaming, as fans are unable to watch Premier League matches at this time within the UK.
There is no such blackout affecting the Premier League's international broadcast agreements. Supporters outside of the UK can view as many 3pm matches as their local broadcasters choose to air live.
In addition to December 27 and January 3, UEFA's published list of exemptions for the current season includes Saturdays during the men's international breaks.
This also encompasses September 20, when four Premier League matches began at 3pm but were not televised in the UK. The Athletic confirms that this was due to a request from the Scottish FA to accommodate League Cup fixtures.
Even though the dates submitted to UEFA result from a collaboration between various stakeholders, it's reported that the request for these specific dates did not originate directly from the Premier League.
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