The Premier League needs to wake up and smell the coffee: there is nothing sacrosanct about football matches that kick off at 3 p.m. on Saturdays, especially in an age when televised games are so ubiquitous. It is time to ditch the arcane rule that imposes a TV blackout of Saturday afternoon games – for the sake of the game as well as fans everywhere.
Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, confirmed last month that its next broadcasting rights deal – due to start in the 2025-26 season – could see a big rise in live games on TV, increasing from the current 200 to somewhere in the region of 270. Yet Masters once again ruled out getting rid of the Saturday 3 p.m. TV blackout because of concerns over the impact it could have on match-day crowds and those playing amateur football.
Such is the appetite for live viewing, Saturday afternoon kick-offs increasingly resemble fixtures that are football leftovers
‘We are still supportive of it for those historic reasons to protect the 2.15
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