SPFL opens door to live Saturday 3pm games in next broadcast deal

Scottish football has opened the possibility of televising Saturday 3pm matches as part of its next broadcast agreement, according to BBC Sport. The Scottish Professional Football League is inviting flexible proposals for coverage from the 2029-30 season, with the BBC reporting that bidders could offer to show every match live. No decision to end the blackout has been made.

The SPFL has said it is flexible over how many games the new agreement would include. Its tender lets broadcasters put forward their own proposals for live coverage, rather than limiting the process to the existing allocation. Under current arrangements, Sky Sports can screen up to 60 Premiership fixtures a season and Premier Sports up to 22. That represents about 36% of the division's 228 matches.

The restrictions on Saturday afternoon broadcasts operate through Article 48 of Uefa's statutes. BBC Sport reported that the provision allows leagues to designate periods when live television coverage is prohibited, and can be enforced only when half the fixtures in a country's top two divisions take place simultaneously. The UK blackout currently runs from 2:45pm to 5:15pm on Saturdays, covering the traditional 3pm kick-off slot.

The blackout was introduced amid concerns that televised matches could reduce attendances, both at the games being screened and elsewhere down the football pyramid. The growth of streaming has brought a competing argument: critics say the restrictions prevent clubs from making fuller use of online broadcasting income. Lower-level clubs have also been subject to the restrictions on showing their games online.

The timing of the tender could create scope for wider discussions. The Premier League, English Football League and SPFL broadcast agreements all finish in 2028-29. According to the BBC, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters indicated in August that football was moving towards ending the blackout, while saying a decision remained 18 months away and would involve consultation with the EFL and Football Association.

Any Scottish agreement would require approval from eight of the Premiership's 12 member clubs. They could reject a proposal that included Saturday 3pm coverage, and broadcasters are not certain to pursue an all-match package. Even if Scotland ultimately removed its blackout, that would not automatically change the position in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.