Saturday 3PM Blackout Faces Historic Review as Premier League and EFL Open Talks

For the first time in English football history, the long standing Saturday 3PM broadcast blackout is set to be formally reviewed, with the Premier League and the English Football League preparing discussions early next year on whether live domestic coverage should be allowed.

England now stands alone among Europe’s major footballing nations in enforcing the restriction, which blocks live television broadcasts between 2.45PM and 5.15PM on Saturdays. The potential shift would mark a fundamental change to how domestic football is consumed across the country.

The timing is no accident. Both leagues are already planning for the next domestic media rights cycle despite current broadcast agreements running until the end of the 2028 to 29 season. The EFL intends to return its rights to market in early 2027, with the Premier League expected to follow later that year, making early clarity on 3PM matches a priority.

Behind the scenes, momentum has been building for months. Executives are increasingly aligned around one central belief that partial coverage is no longer enough in a market where broadcast rights inflation has slowed and audience habits continue to evolve.

This season already represents record exposure. The Premier League is broadcasting 270 live matches domestically, while the EFL has 1,059 games available through Sky Sports. Yet league officials believe broadcasters bidding without certainty over the full fixture list risks weakening future tenders.

For the EFL, the prize is significant. Officials estimate that making all 1,891 league fixtures available for broadcast could unlock substantial additional revenue, but only if the blackout is lifted through agreement with the Premier League and the Football Association.

Economic pressures are also shaping the Premier League’s stance. Its current domestic deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports is worth £6.7bn, but that figure was secured by extending the contract by an extra year and increasing the number of matches sold. In real terms, the deal represents an estimated 23 per cent drop in value compared to the previous cycle.

Discontent has grown among several Premier League club owners, particularly from the United States, who view the blackout as outdated in a digital era. They point to the American sports model, where every game is accessible, and argue that restricted access limits growth among younger, on demand audiences.

As revenue growth flattens and the next rights auctions approach, momentum is clearly shifting. Lifting the Saturday 3PM blackout is no longer framed as a radical idea, but as a strategic decision that could shape the future value and visibility of English football for the next decade.