SPFL opens door to ending 3pm blackout in new broadcast tender
The SPFL has issued a broadcast tender flexible on game numbers that could allow live Saturday 3pm coverage from 2029-30, though any change needs club approval and would not automatically extend beyond Scotland.
Scottish football has taken the first tentative steps toward ending the UK's Saturday 3pm television blackout, with the SPFL issuing a tender for its next broadcast cycle, which begins in the 2029-30 season. BBC Sport understands the SPFL is open to broadcasters bidding to show all matches live, including those kicking off on Saturday afternoon. The league said it is "flexible about the number of games" in the new deal.
The move rests on Article 48 of the Uefa Statutes, which lets leagues block live coverage at set times. It can only be enforced where at least 50% of matches in a country's top two divisions kick off simultaneously. The blackout now applies only in the UK, between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays, while other European leagues tend to stagger kick-offs so the rule cannot apply.
In the UK, 3pm remains the default kick-off time from the top divisions down to non-league. The restriction was introduced over fears that televised games would hit attendances, including at clubs further down the pyramid. Critics argue that as streaming has grown, the blackout limits clubs' ability to earn from that revenue, particularly at lower levels barred from showing games online.
Under the current Scottish deal, Sky Sports can show up to 60 Premiership matches a season and Premier Sports up to 22, out of 228 top-flight games — about 36% shown live. The new tender lets broadcasters propose any live coverage model, but any deal would need approval from the Premiership's 12 clubs, with eight votes required. Clubs could still reject an offer that includes Saturday 3pm fixtures.
In August, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters suggested the direction of travel was toward ending the blackout, but said any decision was about 18 months away and would be taken in consultation with the EFL and the FA. The rights deals for the Premier League, EFL and SPFL all expire in 2028-29, offering a chance for a coordinated approach. Scotland ending the blackout would not automatically mean English, Welsh and Northern Irish football follows.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
