The rule which prohibits the broadcast of Saturday afternoon games in the EFL could be axed in the coming years
The English Football League (EFL) has announced that clubs will have the opportunity to voice their opinions about the possibility of removing the so-called "blackout rule" at the league's Annual General Meeting (AGM) this summer, Sporticos has learned.
The rule was brought into place in the 1960s and essentially prohibits the broadcast of football matches taking place between 2.45pm and 5.15pm every Saturday. It applies to the Premier League, the EFL, the Scottish Premiership and other leagues in Britain.
The reasoning behind the rule was to maximise attendances at games, especially among away supporters. The idea was that if all games were shown on TV, nobody would actually go to the games, which would have a hugely detrimental impact on the income of clubs, in some cases threatening their survival.
However, as sports broadcasting evolves and with the onset of the streaming revolution, more and more stakeholders in football are raising the possibility of doing away with the blackout and allowing the broadcast of all fixtures in their respective leagues.
The pandemic saw all matches broadcast live on iFollow
The rule was temporarily suspended during the coronavirus pandemic when stadiums were closed and fans had no way of following their teams. In the case of the Premier League, this meant traditional broadcasters like Sky Sports and BT Sport showing every single fixture. In the EFL, the live streaming platform iFollow was the destination for all matches, including those on a Saturday afternoon.
The suspension of the blackout provided a valuable respite for EFL clubs who would have otherwise struggled to stay afloat, deprived of their usual matchday revenue streams.
However, after the lockdowns ended and fans were welcomed back to stadia at the start of this season, the blackout was reinstated and business as usual was resumed.
There are some murmourings about the possibility of making the iFollow model a permanent part of the way in which people watch the EFL, but its chair Rick Parry has been careful not to suggest this move is a foregone conclusion. Speaking last year he discussed the possibility of the rule being scrapped:
“I don’t see (an end to the blackout) as being essential. Having said that, I don’t necessarily rule it out. We are almost unique in Europe now in having a blackout period. I’m not presuming that it goes, but equally, if we’re looking at streaming, at new technologies and new broadcasters, we will probably have to be open-minded in terms of scheduling."
Midweek fixtures and games not to be shown by the league's broadcast partner Sky Sports have been available for live streaming on iFollow this season but in a far lesser number than in the previous two seasons during the height of the pandemic.
Many different voices in the 3pm blackout debate
The EFL is keen to point out that the AGM will simply offer clubs the chance to discuss the possibility, and they are in no way advocating for the blackout to end. One such club who might be excited to voice their opinions is Bradford City, whose CEO Ryan Sparks told iNews that he was "in favour" of the 3pm blackout coming to an end.
On the other hand, FSA chairman Malcolm Clarke said earlier this season that he sees "no reason" to change the current system. There will be many club owners and other stakeholders in the game who agree with him, as this topic seems to divide opinion.
While not promoting the move, Rick Parry expressed the importance of keeping an open mind about the situation:
“I know there’s people asking: ‘Will away fans still come?’ It’s a fear for League One or League Two clubs but they are two different markets. People who want to go to away games will still go to away games – the numbers don’t change when we have midweek games that are on iFollow. What you do get is a not inconsiderable extra revenue stream from those who wouldn’t go to the game but buy an iFollow pass. It is about opening up that new revenue stream.”
Complicating the situation further is the fact that the EFL has an ongoing TV rights deal with Sky Sports which isn't due to end until 2024. They also recently announced that they had signed a two year deal with ITV for them to show EFL highlights.
No change is expected to take place in the immediate future but the outlook of EFL broadcasting in the coming years could change slightly depending on what the member clubs say at the AGM later this summer.
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