Would have hoped Covid would have put an end to this. It’s outdated and should have been scrapped a long time ago.
The 3pm U.K. Blackout
- Thread starter esmufc07
- Start date
Yeh it needs scrapping. It's completely ridiculous that fans in their own country can't watch the games legally on telly.
It’s some 90s bullshit. Scrap it immediately.
I’m absolutely thrilled it’s back. You lot who wouldn’t dream of going to watch a football match on a Saturday will just stream it anyway so why complain?
There’s nothing like checking 5-6 scores come in at 16:45 on a Saturday. Love it.
There’s nothing like checking 5-6 scores come in at 16:45 on a Saturday. Love it.
Do other football leagues around the world have similar blackouts? I know some US sports do, but always found it weird that I can watch PL games in Germany you guys in UK can't.
Definitely.
Tbh I’m surprised that it wasn’t one of the TV picks in the first place. If it was the likes of Burnley or Norwich then that may be more understandable.
What is the thought behind this? I know the NFL blocks games that are not sold out in the local market, but to block it for the whole country?
All the lower leagues play at 3pm.
I dislike it but I also don't mind hoisting the jolly roger and finding alternative options.
My season ticket costs enough as is and Sky can feck right off.
But as other have said there is a chance that all games being available will kill attendances for smaller clubs.
My season ticket costs enough as is and Sky can feck right off.
But as other have said there is a chance that all games being available will kill attendances for smaller clubs.
Whilst I agree with scrapping it, can you imagine the cost it would take to acquire those rights? And then the cost to the customer?
I agree they need to go but need to make sure it doesn't bite back
I agree they need to go but need to make sure it doesn't bite back
Seeing this thread made me suddenly think the match was today and now I’m sad.
With streams so easily available these days I think it is outdated. I can see the reason for it in the beginning. With no streaming platforms and United playing away in a 3PM kick off, United fans may have gone and watch Oldham, Salford, Rochdale, Stockport etc.
Because if Man United/Liverpool were on telly every saturday at 3pm, less people would go to watch the likes of Shewsbury Town live at 3pm on a saturday.
But think of the lost gate receipts if people can stay home to watch it…
Seriously though, it’s antiquated. You can watch it legally overseas, but not in the UK - bullshit.
Seriously though, it’s antiquated. You can watch it legally overseas, but not in the UK - bullshit.
I get this line of thinking, but Germany, Spain et al are coping perfectly fine without a blackout, as far as I'm aware
I was saying this in the Ronaldo thread, but i don't think they do, no. Now i could be wrong here, but it was something i was reading a while ago. It was talking about how some countries who don't have this blackout, didn't see any evidence of a significant drop off in non-league viewing figures
Also, when you factor in this digital age we live in and how nearly every country in the world can broadcast these game, therefore they're easy to find online, it does appear to be outdated. But I have no hard data to say for sure either way
It really is that simple. It seems baffling people don't get it.
Well, maybe mot so baffling when it's armchair fans of big clubs who don't care about smaller ones.
If I were to use a VPN, which channel/service should I sign up to to watch the Newcastle game?
..but they aren’t? I think people forget about the realisation last season of just how shit and unappealing 3pm kick offs are
Ah, yes. Of course. Forgive my American tunnel vision.
It is easy to find games online but I think it could be a younger demographic or huge football fans that go out of their way to find streams. My dad is a football fan, not a huge one, but there's no way he's going out of his way find a stream with tonnes of pop ups just to watch a game. He'd either listen on the radio or wait watch highlights on MOTD or YouTube.
So he also isn't going to watch a lower league match live, right?
The average attendance at League two (the 4th tier in English football) varies between 15,000 and 1,500. It's far lower in the respective German and Spanish leagues (I even think some teams at that level are not full professional). They rely on gate receipts to survive.
If the lower league sides in other countries are coping fine then that's great for them but lower tier clubs in England would be absolutely destroyed by a hit to their attendances, that's not a price worth paying in my opinion.
DAZN Canada.
You know that nobody forced you to actually watch it. You don’t have to inconvenience others to find enjoyment.
Long live IP Tv.
Not a chance
he's not really a good example, but I do wonder whether the number of fans in the UK that bother with online streams is as big as we think.Thanks!
Got to love the Caf where there is always at least one person to be a dick about a question.
I can't access this article as I'm not a subscriber, so for anyone who has read it, do they comes to any conclusions as to whether this is indeed outdated???
For the amount I pay for Sky and BT sport, along with watching around half a dozen games live per season, its a fecking expensive passion when I can't see every United game through the following methods!
It’s a fecking joke of a rule that’s well outdated. Every other major footballing country in Europe cope just fine with no blackouts, no reason for it to still be implemented in the UK.
They aren't what?
Germany has all matches live on TV and loads of Saturday afternoon kick offs. Can have best of both worlds.
As for the dig about not going to football matches, bit pathetic.
The FA are only encouraging illegal streaming! I bet streaming in the UK last season was at its lowest.
Because it has feck all to do with the major leagues. It is to protect the lower leagues & non league in this country and it is imperative it remains in place.
I’m only 32 and I’m the exact same as that
I’ve done my fair share of streaming in the past, but the quality is hardly outstanding, pop ups everywhere, glitches, finding a decent stream, connecting your laptop to your TV etc etc. I just can’t be arsed, it’s probably super easy for the those in the loop with this sort of thing, but as easy as what people say it is, compare it to picking a remote up and selecting the channel….it’s a blooming faff.
Of course people are going to moan about it even more so now (myself included) because we’ve had over a year of 3pm kick offs now because of Covid, we’ve gotten used to 3pm kick offs, and now it’s taken away from us it brings back all the talk of why there’s a black out in the first place!
We know the reasons, but they are shite, as someone else mention they get on just fine in Europe without blackouts
So what percentage of people who go watching lower league teams only do so for want of anything better?
I thought fans of lower league clubs were meant to be 'proper football fans for proper football' etc. Now, suddenly, a significant proportion of those attending are the same 'armchair PL fans' who just don't have access between 3 and 5 so go to a lower league game instead? Or would happily become armchair fans if the 3pm blackout ended?
What effect on crowd attendances has it had in the lower leagues of all those countries that do allow 3pm games to be televised? Have they shown significant decreases?
Germany also has 4th tier matches with less than 500 spectators.