The English Football League is considering scrapping the Saturday 3pm blackout and making every match available for live broadcast as part of a new TV rights deal from 2024.
The Daily Mail report that the EFL will send out an invitation to bid for live rights to interested parties in the next 24 hours, with Facebook, Netflix, Google, Apple and Amazon being targeted, along with the familiar broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport.
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The board is seeking ultramodern solutions to adapt to the changing broadcasting landscape. They are convinced that by selling more matches they can get a better deal than the current £119 million-a-year contract with Sky, and are believed to be targeting £200 million.
The current deal caused controversy when it was negotiated in 2018, with some Championship clubs believing it undervalued the competition.
Under that agreement, Sky has been televising at least 138 EFL league games per season, as well as every play-off match across the three divisions of the EFL, and the Carabao Cup final. They also show 14 ties from the earlier rounds of the domestic cup competition, along with the semi-finals and final of the Papa John’s Trophy.
"Rights for all 1,891 matches across the league, EFL Cup, EFL Trophy and all end of season play-off matches are available for prospective bidders," said the EFL in a statement.
The rights to broadcast those games could not be sold without screening matches between 14:45 and 17:15 on a Saturday, which is currently banned.
“Whilst the appetite for EFL football remains stronger than ever, we want to grow this audience further,” the EFL’s chief commercial officer, Ben Wright, said. “We are inviting proposals from organisations that can enhance and develop the league’s offering, taking a new and innovative approach to how people consume EFL content.
“Alongside the EFL’s rich tradition and distinguished history there is a desire to evolve, grow and innovate in order to grow our audience further and we’re looking for a partner or partners who share that vision.”
The blackout, which football associations are allowed to implement under article 48 of Uefa regulations, dates back to the 1960s and is designed to protect live attendance at matches. However, it was temporarily lifted when spectators were unable to attend fixtures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
