The Premier League and Sky Sports are set break the traditional 3pm blackout by screening Manchester City's match against Leeds next month to avoid a clash with King Charles' coronation.
UEFA Article 48 states that no Premier League, Football League or domestic cup matches can be broadcast on a Saturday afternoon between 2.45pm and 5.15pm, meaning a host of domestic games are not available to watch in the UK.
The blackout, which has been in place since the 1960s, has been a hot topic of debate recently amid speculation that the EFL were considering a move to scrap the rule as part of a new broadcasting deal. And although that has not come to fruition, Manchester City's match against Leeds on Saturday 6 May, a 3pm kick-off, will be on the airwaves.
The match, which was originally scheduled for the Sunday, has been moved forward by 24 hours as a result of Manchester City's commitments in the Champions League. The Premier League champions play Real Madrid in the first leg of their semi final tie on May 9 - just two days after they were originally set to play against Javi Gracia's struggling side.
A 12.30 kick-off would have clashed with the coronation of King Charles III, which is due to take place on the same day. And a later 5.30 kick-off was not deemed to be an option due to a lack of police resources.
The Premier League confirmed the move on Saturday before citing the change which will see the match stay on Sky Sports' schedule is "subject to further consultation with relevant stakeholders regarding Article 48."
Join the debate! Do you think the 3pm blackout should be scrapped? Let us know here.
Premier League chief Richard Masters confirmed as recently as last month that the top-flight, who signed up to the agreement voluntarily, had no plans to try and break the agreement amid reports that the EFL were ready to move on from the tradition. He said “We’ve been proponents of Article 48 for the entire Premier League and I don’t see that changing in the near term.”
The Premier League have also denied that this decision places the future under of 3pm blackouts under threat.
It now looks unlikely that the EFL will press ahead with plans after they confirmed that they had entered into an exclusive month-long negotiating period with current broadcasters Sky Sports with a view to extending their current agreement for a more substantial package.
Manchester City's clash with Leeds is likely to have major repercussions at both ends of the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's side are fancied to retain their crown after Arsenal dropped points against Southampton on Friday night, while Leeds are battling to avoid the drop and are just a point above the relegation zone after losing against Fulham on Saturday.
