Man City v Leeds: Why Premier League have lifted 3pm Saturday blackout for fixture | OneFootball

The 3pm TV blackout rule has long existed in English football, but the Premier League is set to lift the ban on televised matches for one time only, in order to show Manchester City's rearranged tie against Leeds.

Saturday 3pm games have been banned from television since before the inception of the Premier League.

In fact, the law came about in the 1960s, after former Burnley chairman Bob Lord successfully argued that televised matches on a Saturday afternoon would negatively impact the attendance of lower league games – resulting in what's now known as Article 48.

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The only time the law has been relaxed was back in 2020 and 2021, back when fans were unable to attend matches due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Why Man City vs Leeds will be televised in May.

Now, however, the rule is set to be relaxed for one game only and it's good news if you're a City or Leeds fan.

The two teams were scheduled to meet on Sunday, May 7, but City's Champions League semi-final first leg will be played on Tuesday, May 9.

As a result, City's game, which was originally selected by Sky Sports for broadcast, has been moved to Saturday, May 6.

The usual 12:30 slot for televised Saturday games was available, but this clashes with the King's Coronation, which takes place the same day.

Meanwhile, the 17:30 slot is also unavailable due to a lack of police resources.

And given there are no lower league matches taking place on that Saturday, the Premier League have decided to allow the match to be televised at 3pm instead.

A statement from the Premier League read: “With Manchester City visiting Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday 9 May, their home match with Leeds United has moved from Sunday 7 May to 15:00 BST on Saturday 6 May.

“The match will remain live on Sky Sports in the UK, subject to further consultation with relevant stakeholders regarding Article 48."

It added: “The usual Saturday 12:30 BST UK live broadcast slot has been avoided so as not to clash with the King’s Coronation.

“A later kick-off is not possible due to police resourcing.”

City on course to defend Premier League crown

After Arsenal dropped points for the third game in a row, the league is now in City's hands.

Assuming they draw or beat Arsenal and win the rest of their remaining games, they will be crowned champions for the fifth time in six years.