Football’s 3 pm blackout comes down to a historic rule, yet some, including Todd Boehly, want to see it scrapped. More matches are going to be shown on television, but the blackout is going to remain. The blackout has been in place since the 1960s but many believe that it is time for it to end.
The Premier League have announced a process that will cover them for UK television rights up to 2029. A substantial amount of matches will be broadcast live, with domestic broadcasters invited to bid on packages across the four seasons. Those who intend to stream the matches live will need an internet connection of around 20 Mbps for 4K quality. With the rollout of fibre across the UK, more households are now able to access higher-quality live streams. A good internet connection is also required for those who want to play live casino games, which are popular with sports fans due to the convenient betting format offered by sportsbooks. Some spin till you win roulette game variants online, including Live Speed Roulette, happen in real-time so it’s always a good idea to check your speeds before streaming any kind of live content. Some of the issues faced with having a slow internet connection include lagging and extended buffering, which can be detrimental when playing real-money games, or watching crucial moments in the Premier League.
Those who do intend to stream Premier League matches will find that there is going to be an additional midweek round of matches that is going to start at 2 pm on Sunday. The Premier League aims to increase the value of their television rights, by preserving the 3 pm blackout. The purpose of this is to try and encourage attendees as well as participation. Many believe that the current blackout is outdated and that it is hindering the success of clubs and their teams. Chelsea’s billionaire owner is against the blackout, with Todd Boehly voting to end the blackout.
The rule came into place during the 1960s when Bob Lord convinced the board that televising top-tier matches would affect lower-league clubs’ attendance. His concerns were that the loss in ticket sales as a result of showing the matches live would not be covered by the money that was given to clubs by broadcasting companies. The blackout can only be enacted when half of the fixtures in the top divisions, kick off at 3 pm. This happens to include the Football League and FA Cup matches, but also covers Serie A and La Liga.
Todd Boehly is keen to end the blackout as he believes that there are opportunities to increase broadcasting revenue. It’s been reported that the Big Six clubs are keen to sell the rights to their matches and that they believe that they are edging closer to scrapping the blackout entirely.
There are concerns that scrapping the blackout will lead to the collective selling model being disrupted, as clubs get an equal share of the revenue generated by broadcasting.