UK: Eleven Sports wants to shake up blackout rules

OTT Eleven Sports subscribers in the UK were deprived this weekend of the first 15 minutes of Juventus' match with Ronaldo because of the blackout imposed on the football matches on Saturday afternoon.



This is a rule of the English Football Association dating from the 60s: no live match can be broadcast on all channels on Saturday from 14:45 to 17:15 local time. It was imposed by club owners, worried about the rise of television, which could weigh on ticket sales and the number of spectators in the stadiums. Although controversial, this rule is still in effect, and Eleven Sports intends to fight to change it.

Last week, at the resumption of Serie A, Juventus faced the Chievo Verona at 17h local time. Eleven Sports subscribers were able to see live pre-game, but had to wait until the end of the blackout to enjoy the game live. For 15 minutes, a panel explained the situation, with comments in the background. After a brief reminder of the rule, the panel continued: "No country other than the United Kingdom and Montenegro applies this rule. We disagree with it, and we will continue to question it for the best interest of our customers. "

This rule is in fact derived from the statutes of UEFA, but remains optional for each federation. Currently, only the English, Scottish and Montenegrin federations apply it.

In 2017, the Spanish federation had shifted the schedule of Saturday games to get around this blackout, with a kick off at 17h15 local time instead of 17h. In December 2016, the country missed the first 15 minutes of Clasico FC Barcelona / Real Madrid, then broadcast by Sky Sports.

In early August, Eleven Sports launched its OTT offer in the United Kingdom and Ireland, after having acquired the Liga and Serie A for 3 seasons.