Since 1960, there has been a “blackout” on televising football games between 2.45pm and 5.25pm on Saturdays. This was introduced as a way of protecting attendances at lower league fixtures for fear supporters would stay at home and watch either top leagues or their own clubs matches on television instead. You are unable to head down to the local pub to watch a live game during these hours either as the blackout extends to all live games being shown anywhere in the UK. As we head toward 2024, this ban seems unlikely to be lifted anytime soon.
Over 60 years this blackout has remained in place and actually comes under Article 48 of UEFA statutes which allows leagues to designate a “closed window” for broadcasting. The Premier League insists to this day that Article 48 protects attendances throughout the football pyramid.
Viewing patterns are changing and football needs to change with it.
If supporters want to watch a game that kicks off at 3pm they either have to purchase a match ticket and go through the turnstiles or use illegal streams.
With the advent of social media we can follow second by second news and sport updates but many people are turning to illegal streams as a way to watch 3pm football matches. With the rising costs of football TV packages in the UK upwards of £1000 per year, it is no wonder the use of illegal streams is on the rise.
Some illegal streams are free but there are many paid streams that exist for a fraction of the price of a Sky TV or TNT subscription and many are prepared to pay for these streams that cost a fraction of a match ticket. The demand to watch football at 3pm is huge which is evidenced by high attendances at the top end of the football pyramid and the demand for illegal streams yet lower league attendances are on the rise too.
Football attendances across all lower leagues continue to rise.
Would lifting the 3pm blackout actually affect attendances at lower league games? Year on year we have seen a rise in attendances at lower league games especially at non league level. What is behind this rise could be down to a number of reasons.
Better facilities, affordable ticket pricing make following your local lower league side a better all round experience than going to the local Premier League or even Championship club. Especially at non league level (below the National League), you can drink alcohol in sight of the pitch unlike at league grounds due to FA regulations. The idea of “paying on the turnstiles”, standing on the terracing wherever you like really is an appeal to fans who grew up on experiences like this.
All seater stadia whilst brought in place for the right reasons after the Hillsborough tragedy, have undoubtedly affected atmospheres within grounds. Over zealous stewarding and policing has also meant the match day experience has become sanitised for many. Hence the appeal of lower league football.
It could be argued that fans who attend week in week out at lower league games have done so for decades and will continue to follow their sides rather than ditch it to watch a Premier League game shown on TV at 3pm or watch their clubs fixtures from the comfort of their armchair. These fans are “dyed in the wool” fans who have followed their side from youth and will do so until their dying day so the argument that attendances will fall if the blackout is lifted no longer adds up. Supporters can and do stream their clubs fixtures illegally for a fraction of a match ticket yet attendances remain on the upward trajectory.
European attendances unaffected.
Football leagues around Europe have no such limits on their television coverage and their attendances have been unaffected. Surely this should be a barometer for the Premier League and make them think about changing their stance?
The English Football League (EFL) who cover the three leagues outside of the Premier League were open to games being live streamed at 3pm when they were negotiating a new TV deal with DAZN. The Premier League’s position is more rigid in not wanting change.
The issue is that televising fewer games drives demand up for the broadcasters which in turn drives up sales of TV packages and therefore profits. Times are changing and football should move with the times. There is no hard evidence to suggest making all football games available on TV will lower attendances at games.
