‘Dramatic consequences’ - £200m decision impacting Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United slammed

The Football Supporters Association have hit out at a move to remove the traditional broadcasting ‘blackout’ of fixtures at 3pm on a Saturday.

The controversial move would bring an end to a regulation that has been in place for half-a-century as the EFL prepare to invite offers for their broadcast packages from the start of the 2024/25 season.  Interested parties are to be contacted over the coming days with Sky Sports’ current five-year deal now beyond its halfway point.

EFL chief commercial officer, Ben Wright revealed the plans for what lies ahead with coverage across the Championship, League One, League Two, the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup, stating there is ‘a desire to evolve, grow and innovate’.

He said: “With 54% of the UK population watching EFL football on television each year and a global audience of more than 400 million, it’s an exciting time to be going to market for the League’s broadcast rights.

“Whilst the appetite for EFL football remains stronger than ever, we want to grow this audience further. We are inviting proposals from organisations that can enhance and develop the League’s offering, taking a new and innovative approach to how people consume EFL content.

“Alongside the EFL’s rich tradition and distinguished history, there is a desire to evolve, grow and innovate in order to grow our audience further and we’re looking for a partner or partners who share that vision.”

This has led to concerns attendances could decrease as supporters opt for watching live streams rather than visiting grounds across the football pyramid.  Those concerns are shared by the FSA, who have called for governing bodies to ‘exercise extreme caution’ over their next move.

Kevin Miles, chief executive of the FSA, said: “The UK’s footballing ecosystem is the envy of the world, with matchday attendances running all the way down to non-league and grassroots that dwarf those of elite level games in many other countries.

“Everyone is responsible for maintaining that environment in which football at all levels can not just survive, but thrive – so the professional game should exercise extreme caution before contemplating the end of the 3pm blackout.

“Removing the blackout would have dramatic consequences for the pyramid, many unforeseen, which is why FSA members up and down the pyramid have strongly resisted any relaxation of this protection.”