Sky Sports' Premier League coverage on Sunday afternoon gave football fans a glimpse of the future and a powerful weapon against the growing issue of piracy. For a football addict, Sunday afternoon felt like every Christmas in one day.
A Taste of the Future
Manchester United kicked off against Nottingham Forest at 12:30pm. Then Sky presented their multi-view, allowing fans to watch all four 3pm games: Crystal Palace v Brentford, Everton v Sunderland, Leeds v Brighton, and Wolves v Fulham. I went multi-view, as they flipped between games for big moments, with commentary covering all four and Lee Hendrie as co-commentator. At 5:30pm, Newcastle v West Ham rounded off the day. This schedule, moved from Saturday due to the FA Cup final, showed what Saturdays could be like without the 3pm blackout.
The 3pm Blackout Explained
The blackout was introduced in the 1960s to protect attendance at lower-league games. It kicks in when 50% of top-two division fixtures are scheduled at 3pm on Saturdays. It affects live TV coverage of the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, EFL, SPFL, FA Cup, and Scottish Cup. Foreign leagues like La Liga and Serie A also cannot be shown live between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays without special dispensation.
Why Scrap It?
TV insiders believe every game will be available by the next TV deal because piracy is so widespread. Offering more games could keep TV deal values rising. Watching multiple games on Sunday was brilliant, but it wouldn't stop me from attending a match. Going to a game is a different joy. Would it stop a diehard fan from going? No more than it would stop any fan attending their team's match.
The blackout rule is already frequently breached due to late-running games, play-offs, and Scottish fixtures. The Premier League is sensitive about the issue, but the EFL, which has most to lose, has explored scrapping it. The bigger issue is piracy. I live in North London and see at least ten shops showing illegal streams every Saturday afternoon. Piracy is out of control. Fans want choice, and Sunday's coverage gave them that. Lifting the blackout would be great for live football.
