Love in for the blackout
Words: Tom Reed
Images: Ian Parker
It was a fairly innocuous tweet, as it so often is, that marked news of another unpalatable change to English football. Not so much a shit sandwich, but a vol-au-vent de merde on a passing platter.
The Telegraph posted on X that the Premier League is “in line for major TV shake-up with Sunday 6.30pm games”.
The reaction was immediate in that weary way that top tier supporters respond to news that matches are being moved to antisocial times for a sport that is supposed to be the game of the people.
Of course, the real meat of the story, that a new TV rights deal could mean 25% more games broadcast in an already over-exposed game was lost, amongst the tutting of fans, both armchair and match-going, whose hormone for feeling full on football content never seems to kick in.
The normally level-headed Stadio podcast was one of many to relate the news to the Saturday 3pm blackout, but they were far from alone.
The comments under the Telegraph story of the potential new Sunday 6.30pm Premier League matches was fat with views having a pop at the blackout, which prevents matches being screened between 2.45 and 5.15pm on a Saturday in order to protect interest and attendances down the English football pyramid.
A pyramid, let’s not forget that counts 1000’s of proud clubs in its number, way more than the 20 of the Premier League and its ever imposing “Big 6”
In France, there is a concerted campaign called “Le Foot C’est Le Week-end” which throws light on the movement of matches for live screening and against the power of TV companies, yet in England the reaction is to largely ignore the over-televisation of the sport and instead have a go at the last remaining protection against the visual onslaught.
Obviously, choice can be a good thing in the multi-media age but sadly there has been little evidence that choice in the screening of professional football has proved good value for supporters. What we have seen instead is a stratification of subscriptions and a pressure on the pocket should fans want to watch a variety of games across various competitions.
Indeed, there seems little on the horizon to suggest a “Premflix” service where matches are streamed, with a single subscription and available in one place, with the funds distributed healthily down the pyramid, which makes the cries for an end to the 3pm blackout all the more problematic.
It comes at a time when the English Football League (EFL) is reported by the Athletic to be “collectively showing a 12% increase (in attendances) on last season alone” which suggests that the Saturday 3pm blackout may actually be working.
We only have to look at the non-League game in England, which is going through a renaissance for further evidence of the functionality of the blackout. Along with the groundhopping trend, there has never been more interest in football outside the top four tiers, with supporters relishing the contrast with the Premier League.
No VAR, no sportwashing, fewer stewards and draconian rules, Saturday 3pm kick-offs and the chance to have the odd beer in sight of the pitch makes non-League football more appealing by the day.
The recent scenes from the “Number 9 Derby” between Stourbridge and Halesowen Town showed the sheer joy of following a non-League side as opposed to the big money teams of the Premier League and yes, you should be able to get home from the match on the bus.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in that two and half hour break from televised football each Saturday, a chance to slow down, turn your phone off should you wish and enjoy the sport on a human level. More a Mortimer and Whitehouse gone fishing than a Premier League productions kind of day.
The counter argument could be that a scrapping of the Saturday 3pm blackout and a further onslaught of Premier League content could further turn off supporters sick of the noise, prompting further interest in the lower league game. It would be short-sighted however to ignore the noises from within non-League fearful of the effects on gates should Premier League matches be screened at the traditional Saturday kick-off time.
With that precious 3pm window surrounded on all sides by televised football (and 12.30 Saturday TV games on the way) it could be that the blackout has the curtains opened on it once and for all.
Its removal by media companies hungry for more revenue would be one thing, its pulling apart by supporters who can’t take their hands off the drapes, would be a sad moment for the sport as a whole.
©Ian Parker/ Terrace Edition.
Tom Reed is Terrace Edition Editor and can be found Twitter: @tomreedwriting
Ian is on Twitter and Instagram: @_TheSaturdayboy
