Televised Matches
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 12:24 pmFrom The Times
"The Saturday 3pm TV blackout will be lifted when the new season starts, making it almost certain that all Premier League games will be available to be broadcast to British viewers until the return of fans.
The confirmation by the FA will allow the Premier League to change its position and make matches available to British viewers when the new season begins on September 12.
The Premier League’s initial stance had been that the original Sky and BT Sport contracts would be followed meaning that 40 per cent of games would not be available live on TV, but leading top-flight clubs are worried that would push fans to watch the games via illegal streams while stadiums remain empty or partially empty."
One big obstacle was the Saturday 3pm blackout but the FA has confirmed that it will remain lifted until crowds come back to matches, and potentially only be re-imposed when stadiums can be full again.nTelevising all games means clubs can give season ticket holders access codes to watch the matches via the subscription platforms if they cannot get into the games, as happened during Project Restart, when all fixtures were behind closed doors. The blackout was lifted in April due to the coronavirus crisis forcing matches to be played behind closed doors. It was brought in when English league matches were first televised live in the 1980s aimed at maintaining crowds going to games on Saturday afternoons and participation in grassroots matches.
Premier League club chairmen are meeting on Thursday, when they are expected to make a decision on televising all the matches.
The broadcasters are already making preparations to expand their coverage but will not be asked to make games available free-to-air as happened during Project Restart when Sky made a third of matches available without viewers having to pay a subscription.
All matches in the Championship, League One and League Two will be available for fans to watch while matches are behind closed doors, either on Sky or streamed via the ifollow platform.
The Football Supporters’ Association has called for the Premier League to follow suit with its chief executive Kevin Miles pointing that if it does not then “the only people who can’t legally watch those games live are the citizens of North Korea, Saudi Arabia — and law-abiding fans of Premier League clubs in the UK”.
"The Saturday 3pm TV blackout will be lifted when the new season starts, making it almost certain that all Premier League games will be available to be broadcast to British viewers until the return of fans.
The confirmation by the FA will allow the Premier League to change its position and make matches available to British viewers when the new season begins on September 12.
The Premier League’s initial stance had been that the original Sky and BT Sport contracts would be followed meaning that 40 per cent of games would not be available live on TV, but leading top-flight clubs are worried that would push fans to watch the games via illegal streams while stadiums remain empty or partially empty."
One big obstacle was the Saturday 3pm blackout but the FA has confirmed that it will remain lifted until crowds come back to matches, and potentially only be re-imposed when stadiums can be full again.nTelevising all games means clubs can give season ticket holders access codes to watch the matches via the subscription platforms if they cannot get into the games, as happened during Project Restart, when all fixtures were behind closed doors. The blackout was lifted in April due to the coronavirus crisis forcing matches to be played behind closed doors. It was brought in when English league matches were first televised live in the 1980s aimed at maintaining crowds going to games on Saturday afternoons and participation in grassroots matches.
Premier League club chairmen are meeting on Thursday, when they are expected to make a decision on televising all the matches.
The broadcasters are already making preparations to expand their coverage but will not be asked to make games available free-to-air as happened during Project Restart when Sky made a third of matches available without viewers having to pay a subscription.
All matches in the Championship, League One and League Two will be available for fans to watch while matches are behind closed doors, either on Sky or streamed via the ifollow platform.
The Football Supporters’ Association has called for the Premier League to follow suit with its chief executive Kevin Miles pointing that if it does not then “the only people who can’t legally watch those games live are the citizens of North Korea, Saudi Arabia — and law-abiding fans of Premier League clubs in the UK”.
