PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Abolish the saturday football 3pm TV blackout rule
Abolish the 3pm blackout rule to give fans the freedom to watch matches live. Created in an age which couldn't possibly forsee the rise of live streaming. This outdated rule once created to protect the income of football clubs, does more to harm the sport than protect it.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
6
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 6/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 6/100,000
Background
Abolish the 3pm blackout rule and allow streaming services to show football matches starting between 14:45 and 17:15 on their respective platforms. By preventing loyal fans from being able to watch their teams live, this rule empowers criminal elements online as desperate fans inevitably turn towards virus and scam laden, digitally unsafe and illegal streaming websites. Additionally, with a large number of fans unable to attend games due to limited capacity, additional revenue is lost to clubs.