Fans argue over Saturday’s 3pm blackout staying until 2029 – with some supporters branding the ‘pathetic’ decision a ‘DISGRACE’ – while others insist the rule is ‘keeping English football’s pyramid alive’

• The Premier League agreed a new deal with Sky and TNT Sports worth £6.7bn 
• As part of the agreement, the Saturday 3pm blackout will remain until 2029 
• Man City are vulnerable, but come the spring they will put on the afterburners. Leaders Arsenal must seize their moment now – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off

Fans are debating the decision to uphold English football’s 3pm blackout on Saturdays after it was revealed that the Premier League had agreed a new four-year TV deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports worth £6.7billion. 

Following the agreement, which will start in 2025 and end in 2029, all Premier League matches outside the 3pm blackout are set to be televised on either of the two broadcasters, with Sky the biggest winners having bought the rights to 215 matches per season.

Meanwhile, TNT Sports have retained the rights to Saturday’s early kick-off and will thus televise 52 Premier League games each season, with BBC still showing all Saturday highlights on Match of the Day.

Amazon have lost their Premier League matches after six years of providing live coverage and there was only a modest bid from ambitious streaming platform DAZN, and none at all from Apple TV.

The value of the 3pm blackout has long been debated by football fans, and several supporters took to social media on Monday to react to the news.

Football’s 3pm blackout on Saturdays is set to remain until at least 2029 after the Premier League agreed a new four-year TV deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports worth £6.7billion

Sky will broadcast at least 215 live games, including every match on the final day of the season

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Meanwhile, TNT Sports will continue to broadcast the 12:30pm kick-offs and show two midweek slates from the 2025-26 league season, picking up 52 matches per season in total

The blackout is primarily in place to encourage fans to get out and watch live matches, so that teams further down the English football pyramid have a better chance of earning revenue.

Disappointed with the decision, Manchester United fan Mark Goldbridge posted on Monday: ‘New TV deal until 2029…. means the 3pm Saturday blackout will continue for at least another 6 years. Disgrace.’

A supporter of the Premier League’s decision fired back in response: ‘The 3pm blackout is what is keeping the English football pyramid alive you utter moron.’

Another added: ‘People calling for Sky to get rid of the 3pm blackout, do we really need to see every single game live on Sky? The rule is there to get people to actually attend games.’

A third said: ‘God forbid that the sofa season ticket holders cannot watch their beloved side on a Saturday afternoon. Long live the Saturday 3pm blackout.’

Football fans have since argued over the value of the 3pm Saturday blackout on social media

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has hailed the new broadcasting agreement 

But many other fans share the same view as Goldbridge, arguing that the 3pm blackout has had its day.

One fan said: ‘Another pathetic decision from the Premier League. 3pm blackout continues and no sign of moving forward with a new way of experiencing football. 2026 has to be the year when things change for fans. Options are required, not the continued bias bulls*** Sky and TNT serve up.’

A second simply added: ‘Keeping the 3pm blackout is absurd.’

Meanwhile, a third said: ‘The 3pm TV blackout massively benefitting the lower league pyramid system is the biggest myth in English football.’

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

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