Preston North End, Burnley, and Blackburn Rovers could lose £37m amid historical TV decision
Big changes are being suggested for football in England before 2030.
The very way in which a Preston North End supporter follows their club could change massively in the next five years.
Senior football figures have told The Times that the Saturday 3pm blackout rule is ‘unlikely’ to survive beyond the 2028/29 season. The official name of the rule is Uefa’s article 48, and for it to be in effect, 50 per cent of the matches in the Premier League and Championship must be played on a Saturday at 3.00 pm.
This long-serving rule could be coming to an end however when there TV rights are up for renewal. It’s still a few years off, and so the potential change won’t come in the immediate future, but it could still be a big change, as to how PNE and other clubs are operated.
Preston along with the other member clubs in the EFL are in the first of what is a five-year deal with Sky Sports, worth £935m. They have made big changes this season with the launch of Sky Sports+. All games on the opening weekend were broadcast, and this season, they’ve put on several matches to watch on a Saturday lunch time kick-off.
The original idea for the blackout rule was to protect participation in grassroots football and attendances at a lower league level. If supporters were more able to watch Premier League teams on a Saturday, then it could lead to fans staying at home, rather than watching their local teams.
Currently those outside of the United Kingdom are free to watch Premier League matches at any time. Supporters in the United Kingdom however are bound by the rule, and are only able to watch their team by either being at the game, or waiting for a game that isn’t scheduled for the traditional kick-off time on a Saturday.
Should the 3pm blackout rule be scrapped, early research has suggested that EFL clubs could lose a combined £37m. It means that when the deal is up for renewal, that would have to be factored in.