The Premier League has been granted an exemption from the 3pm TV blackout rule – here’s what the exemption allows and how it works

The Premier League has been granted a special exemption from the 3pm television blackout that would permit the competition to show selected matches during that time slot.

According to The Athletic, a recent change has enabled fixtures to be televised on two specific days throughout the forthcoming festive schedule. These occasions fall on Saturday, December 27 and Saturday, January 3, set to accommodate the 18th and 20th rounds of fixtures in the 2025/26 campaign.

This development would permit the matches, timed for 3pm on both Saturdays in question, to be shown live, bypassing the usual broadcasting restriction at that hour. Nevertheless, despite having permission to screen fixtures during these periods, The Athletic reports that the Premier League has no intention of utilising this broadcasting opportunity, reports the Mirror.

Currently, 10 matches are due to occur on December 27 with another 10 scheduled for January 3, though the Premier League has yet to finalise its fixture alterations and domestic television selections for the Christmas period, including arrangements for Boxing Day (December 26) or New Year’s Day (January 1). Arsenal host Brighton, Chelsea welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge and Tottenham travel to Crystal Palace on December 27, while on January 3 Arsenal go to Bournemouth, Chelsea visit Manchester City and Tottenham host Sunderland.

When questioned about the blackout at the Leaders football conference earlier this month, Premier League CEO Richard Masters said: “We are committed to it for the foreseeable future and it’s not a decision that we make, it’s done in conjunction with other football bodies, the EFL (English Football League) and the FA (English Football Association).”

The 3pm blackout rule, first conceived in the 1960s and implemented in the UK since the mid-80s, primarily exists to ensure that lower-league games don’t suffer from reduced attendance if Saturday 3pm matches are broadcast live on television.

However, it has also been linked to the growing trend of illegal streaming, as fans are unable to watch Premier League matches at this time within the United Kingdom.

There is no such blackout affecting the Premier League’s international broadcast deals. Supporters outside of the UK can watch as many 3pm matches as their local broadcasters choose to air live.

In addition to December 27 and January 3, UEFA’s published list of exemptions for the current season – which they receive requests for – includes Saturdays during the men’s international breaks.

This also included September 20, when four Premier League matches kicked off at 3pm but were not broadcast in the UK. The Athletic confirms this was due to a request from the Scottish FA to accommodate League Cup fixtures.

Even though the dates submitted to UEFA result from collaboration between various stakeholders, it’s reported that the request for these specific dates did not come directly from the Premier League.