By Basant El-Faramawy
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has taken the first steps toward ending the long-standing 3pm television blackout as it seeks broadcast offers for the 2029-30 season cycle. The league says it is "flexible about the number of games" in the new deal, opening the possibility that broadcasters could bid to show every match live, including those traditionally played on Saturday afternoons.
Flexible tender allows all matches live
The SPFL has structured its tender with maximum flexibility on the condition that the winning broadcaster does not seek to impose Article 48 of the UEFA Statutes. That article permits leagues to block live television during specific windows, but only when 50% of matches in a country's top two divisions kick off simultaneously. The SPFL's approach means a broadcaster could theoretically propose showing all 228 Premiership fixtures each season.
UK remains only European country with blackout
While other European leagues have experimented with blackout periods, the UK is now the only nation where a Saturday afternoon block — 2:45pm to 5:15pm — remains in force. Elsewhere, leagues stagger kick-off times so the top divisions do not all play at once, rendering the blackout inapplicable. The 3pm tradition was originally introduced over fears that televised games would hurt attendances across the pyramid.
Cymru Premier already removed restriction
Wales' top flight, the Cymru Premier, abolished the blackout in the summer in favour of a streaming model for all matches. The move demonstrated an alternative revenue path for leagues with a mix of professional and semi-professional clubs.
Premier League indicates similar direction
In August, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters signalled that the direction of travel in England was also toward ending the blackout, though any decision would be at least 18 months away and require consultation with the EFL and the FA. The upcoming broadcast cycle offers a rare alignment: rights deals for the Premier League, EFL and SPFL all expire in 2028-29.
Current broadcast deal covers only 36% of games
Under existing terms, Sky Sports shows up to 60 Premiership matches per season and Premier Sports up to 22, meaning just 36% of top-flight games are televised live. The new tender invites broadcasters to present any live-coverage proposition they choose. Any agreement would then need approval from eight of the Premiership's 12 member clubs.
Clubs must approve any new deal
Scottish clubs could still reject an offer that includes Saturday 3pm fixtures. Moreover, a decision by the SPFL to lift the blackout would not automatically extend to English, Welsh or Northern Irish football, each of which operates under separate governance and broadcast agreements.
