A huge decision has been made in relation to the long-standing ‘3 pm blackout rule’.
The blackout rule was first enforced in the UK during the 1980s with the general idea of encouraging fans to watch lower-league games by not showing live football matches that kick off at 3 pm on television.
So, between the hours of 14:45 and 17:15 on Saturday, football matches are not permitted to be shown live on UK television.
In the UK, the rule affects a range of leagues and cups, including the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, English Football League, Scottish Professional Football League, FA Cup and Scottish Cup.
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Meanwhile, other European leagues – such as Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A – fall under the rule and cannot be shown live in the UK between the aforementioned times unless they receive an exemption.
Previously, UEFA lifted the blackout during the 2019-20 COVID-19-impacted season when fans were not allowed to attend games in person.
Given the cost of attending games in person, some fans have called for the blackout to be scrapped, but in October 2025, Premier League CEO Richard Masters insisted that the league is “committed to it for the foreseeable future”.
Currently, a Manchester United fan in Manchester can’t legally watch the Red Devils on UK television at 3 pm on a Saturday, but a supporter in Madrid can.
But things could be set to change – kind of.
As reported by The Athletic, an exemption to the rule has been granted concerning two days over this year’s Christmas/New Year’s fixtures.
The outlet claims that fixtures on December 27 and January 3 fall under the exemption, meaning 3 pm kick-offs on those Saturdays could be broadcast live on UK television.
But, according to the sources’ briefed on the situation, the Premier League will not take up the option to make any of its games begin at 3 pm on those days.
The Premier League has not yet confirmed which fixtures will be aired on UK television during the festive period.
It is thought that the reason for the Premier League’s stance is due to its agreement with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Nonetheless, not everyone agrees with the rule, including Prince William, who described the fact that he cannot watch his beloved Aston Villa at 15:00 on a Saturday as “irritating”.
Speaking to The Sun earlier this year, the heir to the British throne said: “The biggest thing at home is trying to find it on TV sometimes because obviously you've got the Saturday 3 pm blackout, which is irritating.
"But it's really annoying that we still can't watch our own team's Premier League match in this country, but you can go abroad and watch any game any time."
Topics: Premier League, Football
Luke Davies