Scottish Professional Football League Considers Ending Saturday 3pm TV Blackout
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has expressed a willingness to lift the Saturday 3pm television blackout starting in 2029, according to information from the Press Association. This potential shift comes as the SPFL invites bids for its upcoming broadcast cycle, which is set to begin with the 2029-30 season.
The current Saturday 3pm blackout is a UK-wide broadcasting rule that has been enforced since the 1960s, aimed at safeguarding live match attendances. This rule remains in place due to UEFA’s Article 48, which allows leagues to impose broadcasting limitations if over 50% of professional matches are scheduled for that time.
The SPFL’s new approach proposes inviting broadcasters to bid on a greater number of games compared to the existing cycle. However, the league does not intend to sell all its matches in the next broadcast cycle. Should the rights sale lead to fewer than half of the fixtures kicking off at 3pm on Saturdays, the Article 48 restriction could be bypassed, enabling the blackout to be removed.
Should this change occur, it would mark a significant development for live football coverage in the UK. Other domestic leagues, including the Premier League and the English Football League, might consider following suit. While the Premier League currently upholds the 3pm blackout on Saturdays, it has extended its coverage to include all matches throughout the rest of the weekend, featuring various time slots on Fridays and Mondays, as well as multiple kickoff times on Saturdays.
