Scottish football could pave way for 3pm TV blackout to end

Scottish football is seeking broadcast offers for 2029-30 onwards with flexibility on live coverage, potentially including Saturday 3pm slots currently banned under UK rules.

The SPFL has launched a tender for its next broadcast cycle starting in 2029-30 with unprecedented flexibility on the number and timing of live matches. The move marks the first serious attempt to end the UK's 3pm television blackout, which has been in place since the 1960s to protect attendances at lower-league clubs.

Under current rules, Article 48 of UEFA Statutes allows leagues to ban live broadcasts between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays, but only when 50% of matches in the top two divisions kick off simultaneously. The SPFL's tender explicitly allows broadcasters to bid without invoking this restriction, meaning all matches—including traditional Saturday afternoon slots—could potentially be shown live.

Currently, only 36% of Scottish Premiership matches are broadcast live (60 by Sky Sports, 22 by Premier Sports out of 228 total). The blackout has become increasingly controversial as streaming revenue grows, particularly affecting lower-league clubs unable to monetise online coverage. Any deal requires approval from eight of the Premiership's 12 member clubs. The timing is significant: Premier League, EFL and SPFL broadcast rights all expire in 2028-29, creating a rare opportunity for UK football to align on the issue.